By: Alex Morales
Fort Worth, TX – The El Paso Diablos were on top of the Cats 4-3 heading into the bottom of the fourth inning, but Fort Worth responded as they scored the last eight runs of the game including five in the seventh inning to give them a 11-4 victory Thursday night at LaGrave Field.
El Paso (35-60) scored the first run of the game in the second inning when left fielder Brian Joynt hit a one out double to bring in right fielder Nelson Teilon to make the score 1-0 after one and a half innings of play. Joynt finished the night 3-5 with a double and one RBI.
Fort Worth (44-51) responded back in the bottom half of the second when they plated three runs to make the game 3-1. The three runs came after the first batter was retired as the Cats were able to string together four straight hits including a two-run RBI single by Clifton Thomas to make the score 2-1.
The next batter was third baseman Will Calhoun who hit a sacrifice fly to make the game 3-1. The Cats were unable to hold the lead as El Paso stormed back in the top of the third inning.
Diablos catcher Alberto Espinosa hit his sixth home run of the season as he blasted a 2-0 fastball over the left field fence for a two-run home run to tie the game at three.
El Paso starting pitcher Reymond Cruz was able to pitch a scoreless third inning and get the Diablos to the top of the fourth. In the frame they added one more run when shortstop Albenis Machado hit a RBI single to make the game 4-3. Machado finished the night 3-3 with an RBI and two walks.
With the game going back and forth, Cruz was unable to hold the lead as Fort Worth stormed back with two more runs in the bottom of the fourth. Right fielder Marcos Rodriguez hit an RBI double to tie the game at four. The Cats re-took the lead when Trent Lockwood singled to center field to score Rodriguez and make the game 5-4 after four.
Fort Worth put the game out of reach when they tagged El Paso’s bullpen in the seventh inning as the Diablos were forced to use three relievers in the inning. The Cats scored five runs on five hits. They also had a runner reach on an error and another who reached on a walk.
The Cats scored one more in the bottom of the eighth to make the game 11-4 and relievers Griffin Bailey and Robert Manuel closed out the game for Forth Worth to seal the victory.
Tomorrow is the finale of the series as the Diablos will look for a split in the series before they head home for the final home stand of the season. Game time is set for 7:05 pm at LaGrave Field.