With a second consecutive down-to-the-wire win over Northwest Arkansas, the RockHounds moved to the brink of Texas League history. By
defeating the Naturals, 6-4, Wednesday night at Arvest Ballpark, the ‘Hounds moved to within one victory of a third consecutive Texas league
Championship, something no team has accomplished since the Fort Worth Panthers 91 years ago (1920-25).
The ‘Hounds built a 6-0 lead, then held off a Naturals comeback, to secure the win and a two-games-to-none lead in the best-of-five
championship series. The teams now travel to West Texas for game three, which has been moved up (due to weather concerns) to Thursday
night at Security Bank Ballpark (see note and revised schedule, below).
Singles by Yairo Munoz and Viosergy Rosa in the top of the fourth fueled the game’s first run-producing rally. Andy Paz dropped down a
perfect sacrifice bunt and J.P. Sportman‘s single to left broke the scoreless tie. Richie Martin then lifted a fly ball down the right field line.
Logan Moon made the catch in foul ground, with Rosa tagging from third and scoring on the sacrifice foul fly ball.
Tyler Marincov led off the fifth with a double to left and Beau Taylor was hit by a pitch, ending the night for Naturals starter Eric Skoglund.
Midland native Reid Redman (a product of Midland Christian High School and Texas Tech University) relieved Skoglund and saw his first pitch
sent down the right field line by Munoz for an opposite-field RBI single. Rosa’s chopper at the plate was, despite the strenuous objection of
RockHounds manager Ryan Christenson, deemed a fair ball (and a 2-3 putout) for the second out of the inning. The play, however, put two
runners in scoring position and Paz followed with a two-run single to left, pushing the lead to 5-0. Martin then added what would be the
RockHounds’ final run of the game, taking Redman’s first pitch of the sixth inning out over the left field wall for a solo home run.
Starter Corey Walter capped a brilliant season with five scoreless innings, allowing four hits and one walk (he did not strike out a batter), and
would earn the win. Northwest Arkansas then rallied against the RockHounds bullpen, scoring three runs in the sixth. Singles by Alfredo
Escalera, Mauricio Ramos, Frank Schwindel and Samir Duenez (the last two driving in runs) against Sam Bragg cut the lead to 6-2 and the last
run of the inning scored on an error by second baseman Max Schrock.
Escalera and Ramos started another rally in the seventh, this time by drawing walks against Lou Trivino, and Ryan O’Hearn’s RBI single cut the
lead to 6-4. After Schwindel’s ground out to first base pushed the runners to second and third, Kyle Finnegan entered the game and struck out
Duenez to end the threat with the tying runs in scoring position.
In Tuesday night’s series opener, Jake Sanchez earned the save but allowed a run before quelling a Naturals’ threat in the 5-4 win. Wednesday,
the RockHounds’ closer sealed the deal with a 1-2-3 ninth inning, all on strikeouts. Sanchez whiffed Corey Toups on a 3-2 pitch, then got
Escalera and Ramos … all three K’s were swinging … to slam the door and bring the RockHounds to within one win of history.
Brett Vertigan (3-for-5) led the RockHounds’ 12-hit attack with Marincov (now 5-for-10 in the series), Munoz and Sportman each collecting two
hits. Martin and Paz both drove on two runs, with one RBI each for Sportman and Munoz, leading another balanced scoresheet. Marincov and
Vertigan are both hitting .423 (11-for-26) in the postseason with Munoz at .417 (10-for-24). Martin and Rosa lead the club, each with five RBI.
Due to weather concerns in West Texas, this weekend’s Texas League Championship Series schedule has been pushed up one day.
Thursday’s scheduled travel day will, instead, see the teams play game 3 at Security Bank Ballpark. A revised schedule is included, below.
RockHounds
NW Arkansas Naturals
Corey Walter
Eric Skoglund
Jake Sanchez
RockHounds
6
4
12
9
1
1
9
8
(1-0, 0.00)
(0-1, 6.00)
(2, 4.50)
Richie Martin (1st / 1st overall) Solo in the sixth (off Reid Redman)
NWA: Josh Staumont (RH, 2-1, 3.04)
First pitch at 7:00 p.m.
RockHounds: Brandon Mann (LH, 3-4, 4.48)
Radio at 6:45 p.m.
News-Talk KCRS
(*) If necessary
Starting pitchers TBA
Radio: KMRK (“My Country” 96.1-FM)
(*) If necessary
Starting pitchers TBA
Radio: KMRK (“My Country” 96.1-FM)
(*)
(*)