WhiteWings Fall into Three-Way Tie for Third

Published on August 15, 2010 under United League Baseball (ULB)
Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings News Release


LAREDO - The Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings fell to the Laredo Broncos 11-9 on Sunday at Veterans Field to fall into a three-way tie with the Broncos and the San Angelo Colts for the final two playoff spots in the United League.

The WhiteWings hold the head-to-head tiebreaker with the Colts by winning the season series ten games-to-six while the WhiteWings currently lead the series with the Broncos nine games-to-five.

The Broncos (38-39) struck against Steve Raburn (3-3) right away. Jason Diaz led off with an infield-single and moved to second on a throwing error. After a sacrifice bunt, DJ Dixon hit a grounder to second that Roberto Rodriguez couldn't handle to make it 1-0.

Maiko Loyola hit a one-out triple and scored on a throwing error to make it 2-0 Broncos.

The WhiteWings (38-39) responded against Matt Gibbs (6-3) in the top of the fourth. With one out, Leivi Ventura hit 19th home run of the season, and seventh against the Broncos. With two outs, Welinson Baez and Domenic Di Ricco walked. Yuki Matsumoto and Rodriguez reached on errors to score three more runs giving the WhiteWings a 4-2 lead.

Carlos Arroyo hit his fourth home run of the season in the bottom of the fourth to bring the Broncos within 4-3.

The Broncs sent ten batters to the plate in the bottom of the fifth and six of them scored as the Broncos took a 9-4 lead. Dixon led off with a single, and for the first time this season, the Broncos hit back-to-back home runs, by Jonel Pacheco and Jonathan Cisneros. Salvador Paniagua singled to knock out Raburn. Miguel Matos allowed a single to Nick Mahin and then Arroyo laid down a sacrifice bunt. The throw to first went up the right field line for a three base error to make it 9-4 Broncos.

The WhiteWings loaded the bases on three-straight walks to start the top of the sixth. Matsumoto grounded into an RBI-fielder's choice to knock out Gibbs. Brian Buchanan allowed an RBI-groundout to Rodriguez to bring the WhiteWings within 9-6.

Cisneros hit a two-run home run off of Luis Carreras in the bottom of the eighth to complete the scoring.

Ventura hit a three-run home run off of Maximino de la Cruz with two outs in the top of the ninth to make it a two-run game, but Reyes Dorado recorded the final out for his fourth save.

The WhiteWings and Broncos, who are expected to announce the signing of former-American League Most Valuable Player and six-time All-Star Jose Canseco at 2:00 p.m. on Monday, will play game two of this four-game series on Monday at 7:35 p.m. Right-hander Luis Montano (7-4) is expected to face right-hander Jeff Jamnik (3-3).

The WhiteWings are members of United League Baseball, an independent league of six professional baseball teams located in Texas that has sent two players to Major League Baseball in Edwar Ramirez (New York Yankees) and Robinson Cancel (New York Mets). In its fifth season, the United League is in the midst of a great summer with teams located in Amarillo, Edinburg, Harlingen, Laredo, Robstown and San Angelo.

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United League Baseball Stories from August 15, 2010


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