RoughRiders Split Series With San Antonio
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SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS – Finishing the season series against the San Antonio Missions, the Frisco RoughRiders took down the Missions by a 4-2 score at Nelson W. Wolff Municipal Stadium on Friday night. With the win, the ‘Riders split the four-game series and the season series against the Missions.
All of the scoring came in the first third of the ballgame, and Frisco (25-35, 64-66) never trailed. It took Donn Roach just five pitches to get through a perfect first, but the ‘Riders brought seven to the plate in the second to take an early lead. Brett Nicholas led off with a single. He then stole his second base of the season and got to third on a fielder’s choice. With one out, Chih-Hsien Chiang grounded into another fielder’s choice, which brought home Nicholas to make it 1-0 ‘Riders. With two outs and no one on base, Frisco collected three straight base hits, the third of which came from Ryan Strausborger, an RBI ground rule double, to extend the lead to 2-0.
Unlike Roach, Jerad Eickhoff labored through the first inning but did not allow a run. In the second, the Missions (37-23, 75-54) got to him. After retiring the first two men he faced, Eickhoff allowed back-to-back singles to Lee Orr and Austin Hedges. Jeudy Valdez then worked a walk to load the bases. The two-out magic continued, as Rico Noel clubbed
a two-run single on a liner over the shortstop to tie the ballgame at 2-2.
The ‘Riders came right back in the next half inning. With one out, Rougned Odor singled and Nichols notched his second base hit of the night with a double to right to put two in scoring position. Against the shift, Joe Benson found a way to beat it to left field for a two-run double to give the ‘Riders a 4-2 lead that they would not relinquish.
Neither team scored again, and both the Missions and ‘Riders didn’t threaten often the rest of the way. San Antonio had just one man in scoring position for the remainder of the contest. Frisco got a man to second in the seventh and a leadoff double in the ninth but couldn’t capitalize.
Eickhoff (1-1) finished with five innings pitched of two-run baseball for his first Double-A win. He scattered five hits and a pair of walks and fanned one. Roach (8-12), who went just four innings and allowed all four runs, was handed the loss. Lisalverto Bonilla (4) tossed a clean ninth for his fourth save in as many chances in the Texas League.
The RoughRiders return to Dr Pepper Ballpark on Saturday to begin the final home stand of the season. They open up against the Midland RockHounds for a 7:05 p.m. first pitch. Arlett Mavare (3-2, 4.60 ERA) opens the home stand on the mound for the RoughRiders. The RockHounds counter with former big leaguer Drew Carpenter (3-2, 1.56 ERA). Fans can tune in to the play-by-play broadcast on www.RidersBaseball.com beginning at 6:40. The game will also be televised on KTXD beginning at 7:00 p.m.
Tickets remain available and may be purchased at the Dr Pepper Ballpark box office, at www.RidersBaseball.com or by calling (972) 731-9200.
