WhiteWings defeat San Angelo

Published on August 9, 2012 under North American League (NAmL)
Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings News Release


HARLINGEN- Celson Polanco won his league leading ninth game of the season and Alex Ruiz had three hits, including his team leading fifth home run, as the Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings defeated San Angelo 7-5 at Harlingen Field Thursday night.

Ruiz's blast to left field over the 20-foot wall in left center came off Mike Hart (5-2) with two men on to give the WhiteWings (41-32) a 4-0 first inning advantage.

The Colts tied the game in the top of the third inning on four unearned runs off Polanco (9-4). Following an error by second baseman Roberto Rodriguez to load the bases, cleanup hitter Landon Camp drove in San Angelo's first run when he grounded into a force play. Cory Patton followed with a two out, 2-run double to right field came just out of the reach of a diving Nestor Castillo, and Jason Crossland single in Patton with the tying run two batters later.

But in the bottom of the frame Ruiz and Robert Moron led off with singles to put runners at the corners. When Moron attempted to steal second no runners covered the base and catcher Michael Pair's throw sailed into centerfield to score Ruiz and put Moron at third. He would later score on Nestor Castillo's sacrifice fly to centerfield.

For Castillo, his sacrifice fly came on the day he returned to the WhiteWings after almost two weeks on the inactive list. Rio Grande Valley released third string catcher Jhonaldo Pozo to make room for Castillo, a much needed outfielder.

"I knew I had to be patient," Castillo said. "If I was patient, I knew good things would happen."

San Angelo (37-36) rallied for a run in the seventh when Landon Camp drove in J.J. Sherrill with a sacrifice fly, but lefthander Wander Perez came on to retire the lefthanded hitting Patton with a man on to end the threat.

Perez would not allow a single hit in 2 1/3 innings of scoreless relief to earn his second save.

Polanco allowed only one earned run on eight hits in 6 2/3 innings, striking out six and walking three. The 6-4, 250-pound righthander is currently tied with Edinburg's Miguel Martinez for the North American Baseball League lead in victories, leads the NABL with 84 strikeouts, and his 2.10 earned run average is tops in the United Division.

The two teams meet for the second game of their four game series tonight. In addition to being "Spirit Night" with fans of Harlingen and Harlingen South High Schools asked to wear their team colors in a spirit competition, fans from La Feria and Santa Rosa can buy reserved seats for four dollars.

Game time is 7:05 p.m. with righthander Erinzon Bautista (2-0) pitching for the WhiteWings against lefty Logan Williamson (7-2).

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North American League Stories from August 9, 2012


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