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Twelve innings for the win

August 17, 2013 - American Association (AA)
Amarillo ThunderHeads News Release


AMARILLO, TX - The Sox bullpen keeps Laredo scoreless through seven innings of relief in a 5-4 walk-off win at Amarillo National Bank Sox Stadium. KC Serna is the hero with his hit to the left field wall, concluding the three-hour and thirty-seven-minute game. The attendance was 1,413 at the ballpark.

Matt Larkins, the Sox starter would allow all the damage in his five innings pitched. Larkins gave up nine of the fourteen total hits by the Lemurs and all four runs, earned while walking one and striking out another. Although no runs scored until the fifth, Amarillo would reach third base in the second inning. Jorge Delgado singled in the infield, and then Jimmy Mojica, Laredo's shortstop overthrew first base, allowing Delgado to reach third. The runner was going to break for home when the throw went by third baseman, Garrett Rau, the former Sox infielder, who bumped into Delgado, preventing him from scoring.

The Lemurs broke the scoreless tie with a pair of doubles and an RBI-single by Garrett Rau. The first attempt at scoring in the fifth however came from Balbino Fuenmayor, who was tripped at the plate on the block by Chris Grossman and then applied the tag ten feet behind home plate. Daniel Poma, who hit the second double of the inning, scored the first run for Laredo. Amarillo tied in the bottom of the inning after KC Serna reached on an error by Garrett Rau. Trey Ford singled in Serna on a Texas-leaguer to right, tying the game.

Larkins lasted three batters into the sixth, recording no outs and giving up two doubles and a single in between. Cephas Howard relieved Amarillo's starter and allowed a run batted in to Daniel Poma, scoring the third run of the inning. Howard got out of the sixth with a double play on the next batter, leaving the inning with a 4-1 deficit. Joe Weik led off the bottom of the sixth with a solo-homer to left and two batters later, Kyle Nichols hit a long ball to make it 4-3. Nichols had gone zero-for-nine with the Sox before his first homerun of the game. The bases would get loaded with a double by Delgado and single by Chris Valencia and then a walk to Grossman. The Lemurs put in Seth Lintz in relief of starter, Justin Garcia, another former Sox player. With all bases occupied, Lintz struck out Trey Ford to end the sixth inning. Garcia finished the game with three runs allowed, two earned on six hits with two walks and five strikeouts.

The Sox bullpen was perfect in the late seventh through tenth innings. Relief included Brad Wilson for the seventh, Josh Giles in the eighth, and Erik Draxton for the ninth and tenth innings. The trio gave up no hits and no walks. In the bottom of the eighth, Kyle Nichols hit his second homerun of the game off reliever, Jameson Maj who allowed that run on two hits with one strikeout and no walks. Mark Haynes pitched the ninth and tenth for Laredo and gave up no runs on a hit while walking a batter.

In the eleventh, Kristhiam Linares allowed two singles in a row with one out, but got a double play to end the jam. Garrett Rau came in relief for the bottom of the eleventh and allowed a pair of singles to Sox pinch hitters, Jason Martin and Jermel Lomack, but would get Cory Patton on a groundout to leave the inning.

Cory Patton (W, 2-2) gave up two hits to start the twelfth inning, intentionally walked Jimmy Mojica to load the bases, but left the top half with a double play turned from home to first on Harrison Kain, another former Sox player. Jermel Lomack had to jump up to field the high chopper and start the turn of Amarillo's fourth double play of the game. Garrett Rau (L, 2-5) gave up a one-out single to Adam DeLaGarza, who reached second when Daniel Poma bobbled the ball in left. Chris Valencia was given first base on the intentional walk for the second time which brought up KC Serna. The Sox shortstop had went zero-for-five prior to scoring DeLaGarza for the game-winning run.

With their third straight win, the Sox improve to 44-41, while the Lemurs fall to 45-40 on the season. Saturday, the Sox host Laredo for the second of a three-game series. Game time is set for 7:05pm with the pregame show starting at 6:55pm on Ustream via www.amarillosox.com .

Season tickets are available for purchase in-person by visiting the Sox Front Offices at 801 S. Polk or over the phone by calling (806) 242-4653. For more information on tickets, game times and schedules, promotions, marketing opportunities, and everything else Sox, visit the "Official Website of the Amarillo Sox" at www.amarillosox.com.

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