Travs Take Down Missions Again
Published on August 20, 2012 under Texas League (TL1)
Arkansas Travelers News Release
NORTH LITTLE ROCK - Five Arkansas Travelers batters drove in a run on Sunday night in a 5-2 victory over the San Antonio Missions, the Travs' third in a row and eighth win in 11 games. Paul McAnulty hit three singles while driving in a run and scoring a run during the fifth inning when the Travs took control of the game with a three-run rally. Nick Maronde (2-2) earned his first win at Dickey-Stephens Park allowing two runs on eight hits in six innings. Brian Hernandez was 2-for-3 with a run batted in and a stolen base.
Thanks to the Springfield Cardinals loss to Corpus Christi on Sunday, the Travs gained ground on first place and at 29-26 they stand 6.5 games out of first place.
Maronde and San Antonio's Keyvius Sampson (7-10) traded scoreless innings until the fifth when the Travs broke through starting with a single from Jimmy Swift on the first pitch. Travis Witherspoon walked on four pitches to bring McAnulty to the plate. On 3-2 McAnulty grounded a single to right field scoring Swift from second base. Witherspoon advanced to third base and scored when Roberto Lopez drove a sacrifice fly to deep left field. Hernandez pushed the Travs' lead to 3-0 with an RBI single to right-center knocking home McAnulty.
The Missions were never able to tie the game again and Sampson took the loss allowing three runs on six hits and three walks in five innings.
Maronde was tested throughout his six innings with just one inning without allowing a Missions batter to reach base. He found ways out of a couple of situations and carried a shutout into the sixth. Edinson Rincon doubled leading off the second inning, but was thrown out attempting to advance to third on a ball hit to shortstop Darwin Perez. The Missions got back-to-back singles from Nate Freiman and Cody Decker in the fourth, but Rincon hit into a double play and Maronde struck out Jason Hagerty.
The Missions got to Maronde in the sixth for two runs and Rymer Liriano hit a leadoff single to deep shortstop. Liriano stole second and advanced to third on a wild throw from catcher Carlos Ramirez. Decker and Rincon then hit back-to-back doubles cutting the Travs' lead to 3-2 and placing the tying run at second base with just one out. Maronde finished his night by getting Hagerty to fly to right field and Ali Solis to hit back to the mound to preserve the 3-2 lead.
Witherspoon found a way around the bases in the seventh inning to push the lead to 4-2. Facing Hayden Beard, he beat a grounder fielded behind second base. McAnulty's third hit, a single to right field, put Witherspoon at second base. Roberto Lopez grounded into a fielder's choice with McAnulty forced out at second base but Witherspoon advanced to third. He scored when Casey Haerther hit a high chop deep behind third base with Rincon's throw a bit wide of first base for a single.
The Travs scored in the eighth inning without the aid of a base hit. Drew Heid walked and advanced to third on a stolen base and throwing error to Solis on an errant throw. Witherspoon grounded to second base with the infield in, but Heid beat Jonathon Galvez's throw to increase the Travs' lead to 5-2.
Matt Oye dealt one scoreless inning of relief in his first appearance since August 1. Eddie McKiernan (2) earned the save with two shutout innings allowing just one base hit.
Time of game was 2:43 and the paid attendance was 3,295.
The Travs now close out their home stand on Monday with a shot at a three-game sweep of the Missions. Texas League ERA leader A.J. Schugel (6-7, 2.71) takes the mound for the Travelers while the Missions start Adys Portillo (1-4, 9.30).
Texas League Stories from August 20, 2012
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- Game Notes, August 20 at Springfield - Corpus Christi Hooks
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- Travs Take Down Missions Again - Arkansas Travelers
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