Panthers Slip by Loboes
        By Randy Hogan, Staff Writer ~~ The Monahans News ~~ March 29, 2005

Billy Bradshaw had an RBI single in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift the Panthers past the Loboes in a key District 3-AAA game Thursday in Fort Stockton.

After a scoreless first inning, Monahans went to work in the top of the second when Larry Jasso smashed a Bry Arcides fast ball for a base hit.  Arcides walked Tico Olivas, giving the Loboes runner at first and second base, sending Travis Reed up to bat.  Reed popped an RBI blooper over second baseman Sergio Corral scoring Jasso. Arcises hit Sean Merrick in the back with a change up, putting Lobo runners on the corners, but a strike out ending the MHS side of the inning standing two runners.  Fort Stockton Batters went three up, three down in the bottom half of the second inning, and the Loboes owned a 1-0 lead. 

Defense controlled the third inning.  T.J Brooks reached base with a single past the short stop, but the Loboes could not advance the runner as Arcides took a line drive from Kevin Kenyon to end the top of the third.  The Panther's got their first base hit of the game when Julio Pacheco ripped a Mike Gonzales' pitch up the middle.  MHS recovered quickly as Lobo catch Tico Olivas threw out Pacheco stealing second base to end the inning.

Arcides continued to pinch the Lobes inside in the fourth, and put lead off batter Jasso on base after a high inside pitch zinged his helmet.

Olivas sliced a single between the first and second basemen, and MHS had runners in scoring position.  Anthony Cota came in the fame as a pinch runner for Olivas at first.  Rees stood at the plate and showed bunt, and the Arcides pitch sailed past Panther catcher Ovtavio Contrerras and the runners advanced 90 feet each.  Contrerras was not not able to handle the following wild pitch, allowing Jasso and Cota to score.  Arcides settled in and recorded his fifth and sixth strike out of the night to end the Lobo side.

Fort Stockton could not put a runner on base in the bottom half of the fourth inning, as the Lobo infield shut the door.  Kevin Kenyon threw out Bryan Gonzales, Arcides popped a fly to first, followed by a fly ball to second base sitting down Josh Rodriguez and the Panthers in order.  After 4 innings of play, The Green held a 3-0 lead.

Retiring the first two MHS batters in the fifth inning, Arcides went back to the inside pitch and walk the next two batters.  T.J. Brooks got on after being hit on the hands, and Kenyon was awarded base as he was hit in the back by the pitch.  PHS ended the inning with a force out of Brooks as third, leaving base runners stranded once again for The Green.

Mike Gonzales went back to the mound for the Loboes in the bottom of the fifth inning.  Ricky Rivera charged under a blooper to right field for the first out, but the Panthers did not go away quietly.  Fort Stockton recorded the second hit of the night when Billy Bradshaw tagged a Gonzales curveball for a base hit.  Bobby Barriga smashed a line drive to center field, and Bradshaw was safe under the throw at third.  Coach Arcadio Rivera called time out to settle the defense.

With runners at second and third, Sergio Corral belted an RBI single past third base scoring Bradshaw and giving PHS runners on the corner.  Once Again Rivera called time, and Kenyon took the mound to face Thomas Ronquillo.  Lobo catcher Olivas threw to second in an attempt to pick off Corral, stealing second.  The ball got away and Barriga scored as Corral moved safely to third base.  Facing a full count to Ronquillo, Kenyon's pitch got by the catcher, Corral started home.  Olivas picked up the ball and fired it to Kenyon, covering the base for the final out.  Gonzales pitched 4 and 1/3 innings giving up 2 runs on 4 hits, walking 1 and striking out 1.

The sixth inning was three up three down for the Loboes.  Reed ripped a line drive, but PHS second baseman Corral made a spectacular play and gunned the runner down, throwing on one knee for the out.  Not to be outdone, the Monahans defense showcased their fielding ability with a big double play.  Reed fielded one ball and tossed it to Almanza for one out, and Kenny completed the play by getting the runner at first base.  The score remained 3-2 after six innings.

MHS continued to struggling at the plate, as Arsides sat down the Loboes in order.   Needing a run to stay in the game, Fort Stockton Josh Rodriguez sent a line drive to the fence for a stand-up double.  PHS coach Rojas sent pinch runner Adrian Gonzales in for Rodriguez. Contreras stood in with a 2-3 count, and Kenyon's pitch got away from the catcher sending the batter to first and Gonzales to third.  Coach Rivera called a time out and sent Miguel Gonzales into the game as pitcher to face Bradshaw.  Bradshaw reached base on a fielders choice, as the Loboes elected to get Contreras at second base for the out.  However the damage was done when Gonzales crossed the plate knotting the game up to 3-3.  Rivera made a big decision to intentionally walk Corral, giving PHS runners on the first and second base.  It paid off almost instantly, as Olivas picked off Bradshaw stealing third base to end the inning.

Tied 3-3 after seven complete innings, the game was forced into extra innings.  Arcides stuck out lead-off man T.J. Brooks, but the pitch wasn't handled, and Brooks advanced to first beating the throw.  Kenyon hit a line drive right to the pitcher for the first out.  Jasso was hit by the pitch for the second time in the game, giving MHS runners on first and second.  Olvias hit the ball sharply to the third baseman and was called out on the throw to first, allowing Brooks to score from third.  However, the umpire called Brooks out on a controversial call at the plate for not sliding.

Coach Rivera confirmed, "the rule does state that the base runner is required to slide.  However, this situation did not merit any slide since the catcher was in front of the plate and tried to swipe T.J.  That coast us the go-ahead  run."

The Loboes go ahead run was negated, and the top-half of the inning for the green.  The panthers mounted a threat, getting two runners on the base before Monahans sat down the next three batters sending the game into the ninth inning, remaining tied 3-3.

The MHS side of the ninth could not produce the go-ahead score.  Fort Stockton lead of with Josh Rodriguez getting to first.  Contreras followed with a walk, bringing Bradshaw to the plate.  A wild pitch advanced the runners to third and second, and the panther fans were on the feet. Standing in with a 3-2 pitch count, Bradshaw ripped the game winning RBI single scoring Rodriguez and steeling the win for the panthers. "Give Stockton some credit for hanging in there and not giving up early when they were down 3-0," Rivera said.

The Loboes (8-7-1) fall to 1-3 in the district race.  "We have dug ourselves into a hole, but our kids are completing, and if we can eliminate mental errors and start putting the ball into play more, we should be in all of our games," Rivera added.  "Defensively we are playing good enough to win.  Pitching, we are giving up to many walks to win."

Keyed by Stacie Fuentes