RoughRiders Win In San Antonio
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SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS – The Frisco RoughRiders took down the San Antonio Missions for their second straight win by a 3-2 score at Nelson W. Wolff Municipal Stadium on Thursday night. The Missions got the go-ahead run to third base and put the winning run on in the ninth, but the ‘Riders were able to close things out for the victory.
In a seesaw affair, San Antonio (31-27) struck first. Kalian Sams capped off a three-hit inning off Frisco’s Kevin Pucetas with an RBI double in the first to put the Missions ahead 1-0. With two in scoring position and one out, Pucetas struck out Everett Williams and got Jake Blackwood to fly out to end the frame. The missed opportunity proved important, as it was the last time the Missions had a man in scoring position until the ninth inning.
Pucetas didn’t get much run support, and really settled in to keep the game close. Over the next four innings, he scattered three hits and a walk, and it was still 1-0 Missions to begin the sixth inning.
The ‘Riders had a baserunner in four of the first five innings off lefty starter Jose De Paula on Thursday but could not score again him in those frames. But in the sixth, De Paula faltered.
Teodoro Martinez and Guilder Rodriguez both walked to begin the
frame. Brett Nicholas collected a broken-bat single to load the bases with nobody out. Alex Buchholz flew out to right field for the third time in the ballgame, but it drove home Martinez to tie the game at 1-1. De Paula rebounded to strike out Ryan Strausborger for the second out. With the corners covered, De Paula threw a wild pitch to allow Rodriguez to score and take the lead for Frisco at 2-1.
It didn’t take the Missions long to come back. Sams knocked in his second run of the game, leading off the bottom of the sixth with a solo home run, his tenth of the year, to make it 2-2.
The ‘Riders retook the lead in the seventh. With two on against reliever Jeremy McBryde, Rodriguez drove in the go-ahead run with a two-out single.
Arlett Mavare, Richard Bleier, and Ben Rowen fired scoreless innings to close out Pucetas’ seventh win (7-4). Pucetas went six innings and allowed just two runs on seven hits and a walk. He struck out six.
Rowen’s ninth inning was not his cleanest inning, but it earned him seventh save in as many tries. He stranded runners at first and third on a game-ending groundball to third base. McBryde (1-2) took the loss in relief.
The RoughRiders finish their series in San Antonio on Friday at 7:05 pm against the Missions. Nick McBride (0-1, 15.00 ERA) looks to rebound in his third start of the year against right-hander Matt Andriese (6-1, 2.21 ERA). Fans can tune in to the play-by-play broadcast on www.RidersBaseball.com beginning at 6:40.
The RoughRiders return to Dr Pepper Ballpark Wednesday, June 12 at 7:05 pm, beginning their longest home stand of the season with a four-series against the Corpus Christi Hooks. For information on tickets to see the RoughRiders in 2013, please call (972) 731-9200, email info@ridersbaseball.com or visit www.ridersbaseball.com.
