Loboes Pound Indians 
    by Randy Hogan, Staff Writer ~~ The Monahans News ~~ April 5, 2005

The Monahans Loboes upset the Seminole Indians 13-2 Friday night, to climb back into the District 3-AAA baseball race.

Needing a win to stay a float in the District race, Coach Rivera lead his team to a dominating victory over the second place Indians (4-2).  Lobo pitcher Kevin Kenyon took the mound for the Green.  Lead off batter Michael Farris smashed a pitch up the middle to give Seminole their first base runner.  The lobo defense wasted little time providing a jump start for the night's event, as Try Curiel hit into a big 4-6-3 double.  Travis Reed tossed the ball to Sam Graves for the force at second, and then Sam fired a rocket over to first in time to get Curiel for the second out.

With two outs, Matt Castleberry ripped a Kenyon pitch into the right centerfield gap for a standup double, but Drew Phillips hit a line hopper to short stop, and Graves was able to complete the throw out at first to end the threat by the Indians.  "We came up big on defense keeping them off the board," Coach Arcadio Rivera said.

Facing Seminole pitcher Ross Whitfield, the Loboes converted the momentum into an advantage.  T.J. Brooks got on with a hit to left centerfield, followed by Kenny Almanza getting on by a walk.  Miguel Gonzales laid down the sacrifice bunt just as Coach Rivera drew it up advancing the runners to second and third.  With one out and runners in scoring position, Kenyon blasted a 2 run RBI standup triple to score Brooks and Almanza.  The big hit to right centerfield gap gave the Loboes an early 2-0 lead.  Anthony Cota entered the game as a pinch runner for Kenyon.

Whitfield got Larry Jasso on a line drive to centerfield for the second out.  Tico Olivas came to the plate and got a hit off the handle of the bat, dropping it into left field.  Cota scored on the play giving Olivas an RBI on the single.  Ricky Rivera came in the game as a pinch runner for Olivas, but was not able to score as Seminole recorded the third out on a fly ball to first base.  The Loboes led 3-0 off of three hits in the first inning.

The Indians started the second inning with Michael Martinez hitting a long fly ball to center field for the first out.  Second basemen Chris Bagley Bounced one to the center field fence for a stand up triple.  Blake Tittle got a RBI scoring Dagley, but Jasso tossed the ball to Kenyon covering first for the second out.

Todd Warren connected with a Kenyon slider, and beat Graves throw to first.  Ross Whitfield got on base on an error by the short stop, gibing the Indians runners at first and second.  Robbie Pack entered the game for Whitfield as a pinch runner.  On an 0-2 pitch count to Farris, the pitch got away from Olivas and the runners moved up 90 feet each.  Kenyon settled in and struck out Farris to end the top half of the inning.

The Lobo side started with Sam Graves ripping a curveball to right field, and the lead off runner was on base.  Mike Gonzales put down a sacrifice bunt to move Graves to second base.  T.J. Brooks blasted an RBI single up the middle scoring Graves and giving the Loboes a 4-1 lead.

Kenny Almanza belted an 0-2 pitch to right field, and the Green hand runners on the corners.  Miguel Gonzales reached base on a fielders choice.  The Indians got Almanza on the force at second, and Brooks scored easily from third to run the score to 5-1. Whitfield ended the inning with a pickoff at first for the third out.

Seminole's Coach Browning huddled with his team to start the third inning, and the Indians came out swinging.  Lead off man Curiel hit a line drive to center field, but was later thrown out at second by Kenyon on a one hopper from Castleberry.  Castleberry narrowly avoided the double play by beating the throw at first.  Drew Phillips fly ball to left field was dropped, but the Loboes were able to get the runner on a force a second base for the out.  Kenyon got his second strike out of the night by fanning Martinez to end the top half of the inning.  

Kenyon opened the bottom of the third inning with a walk, and Anthony Cota came in as a pinch runner.  Whitfield sat the next batter down by strike out, and Cota stole second on the pitch.  Tico Olivas belted an RBI double to left field scoring Cota, and Rivera came in for Olivas as a pinch runner.  An RBI single by Reed gave the Green a 7-1 lead.

Graves beat the throw to first, but the Indians caught Reed on 3-5 put out as the first baseman fired it to third in time for the tag.  Mike Gonzales walked, and T.J. Brooks was hit by the pitch to load the bases.  Almanza picked up an RBI off his single to right field, and the bases remained loader.

Scotty Najar made his return to the Lobo lineup a success by banging a two  RBI single between short stop and third base.  Kevin Kenyon smashed a two run RBI single into right field, and the Loboes lead was 12-1.  Pinch running for Kenyon, Anthony Cota scored the final Lobo run of the night, as the Indian third basemen misfired to first, sending the batter Larry Jasso all the way over to third base. Whitfield recorded a strike out to end the inning 13-1.

Kenyon did not miss a beat in the fourth inning, sitting down Dagley and Tittle before striking out Warren to end the inning three up and three down.  The Loboes got two runners on base in the bottom half of the inning, but failed to score leaving the runners stranded.

The Indians Rally in the fifth came up short, only producing one run by Michael Farris.  The ten run rule was enforced, and the Loboes claimed a big 13-2 up set victory over Seminole."  This game really helps our confidence," Coach Rivera said after the game.   "We have had our chances in the games we lost, and tonight we had a complete effort."

The Loboes will travel to Greenwood Tuesday for a District showdown with the Rangers.  "Greenwood is better than people give them credit for, they beat Pecos 2-0and are tied for third place right now," Rivera concluded.  "It will be a good test for to keep things rolling in the right direction." 

Keyed by Justin Hall