First Inning Outburst Gives Laredo Lemurs 4-2 Win
On a rainy evening in Texas, the Laredo Lemurs put up four first inning runs in route to a 4-2 win over the Amarillo Thunderheads. The game was called after five innings as weather conditions necessitated the early ending, but that was perfectly fine with Laredo, as they moved to 2-1 early on this season.
The Lemurs got things going right away against Amarillo starter Billy Petrick. Dvontrey Richardson led off the bottom of the first inning with double to left field and Abel Nieves walked to put runners at first and second with no one out. Matt Padgett put Laredo on top with a single into left field that sent Richardson home to make it 1-0. Denis Phipps followed with a double that plated Nieves and moved Padgett to third.
It was 2-0 already, there were two runners in scoring position and there was still no one out. Petrick looked to make a few key pitches to get him out of the inning, and got the first out when he struck out Byron Wiley on three pitches. A.J Kirby-Jones walked to load the bases, and Kevin Taylor drove home the inning’s third run when he grounded into a fielder’s choice that scored Padgett. A wild pitch sent Phipps home and the Lemurs left the first frame leading 4-0.
Matt Loosen started for Laredo, but weather and a tough second inning shortened his appearance. Loosen recorded the first out of the second, but then served up a home run ball to Rene Leveret that made the score 4-1. Jason Martin and Juan Martinez followed the home run by each drawing a walk. Danny Stienstra singled to plate Martin and cut the lead to just two. After striking out Corey Bass, Loosen walked Logan Vick, and his evening was over. Scott Garner relieved and closed out the inning.
From there the pitching staffs took over. Petrick had loaded the bases in the second before retiring the final two batters. That began a streak of eight straight batters he retired before the game ended.
Garner (1-0) retired the side in order in the third, and hit a batter in the fourth, but he closed that inning out as well. The Lemurs reliever pitched 2.1 innings, allowing only the hit by pitch for the victory.
In the top of the fifth Luis Pollerena relieved to begin the inning and after striking out the first batter of the inning, he walked Taylor Smart and gave up a single to Drew Heid. Ryan Beckman took over for the Laredo Lemurs at that point and got Geraldo Valentin to ground out for the second out. Leveret then stepped to the plate with a chance to put his team on top, but Beckman came right after him, throwing nothing but strikes before fanning Leveret to end the game.
The Lemurs finished with only five hits, but they made the most of them. Padgett and Phipps each had a run scored and an RBI.
Boxscore Provided by the American Association
By Robert Pannier