Eagles out duel the Loboes
The Monahans News ~~ March 22, 2005
Larry Jasso gave the Monahans Lobo baseball team the early advantage in the District 3-AAA showdown with Pecos Friday night, but it was Eagle pitching that owned the night.
The Eagles loaded the bases in the bottom half of the first inning before Lobo pitcher Kevin Kenyon took control. Kenyon recorded strike outs of Josh Anchondo and Jonathan Garcia, and the Loboes threw out DH Robert Nunez at first to end the inning and preserve a 0-0 score.
Tico Olivas singled to lead off the top of the second inning for the Loboes. Anthony Cota replaced Olivas as a pinch runner, and the table was set. Larry Jasso stood in at the plate and blasted a rocket shot over the left field fence giving Monahahans a 2-0 lead. Jasso's home run only cleared the fence marked 321, but sailed deep into local Pecos street. The Loboes were unable to put another runner on base in the inning.
The Loboes retired the next six Eagle batters, going three up and three down in the bottom half of the second and third innings on key defensive plays by The Green.
Eagle pitcher Josh Anchondo faced only four Lobo batters in the top of the fourth, but it was Jasso's second at the bat that brought Lobo fans to their feet, again. With one out, Jasso launched an Anchondo pitch over the 352 foot center field fence to pad the Monahans lead to 3-0 and force Pecos to take notice.
Anchondo belted a standup double to lead off the bottom of the fourth for the Eagles, and a pitch runner entered the game. Garcia followed up with a single, scoring the runner, and Pecos was in the game. The eagles loaded up, the bases before Kenney Rios single RBI scored two runs for the Eagles, knotting up the game 3-3. Pecos added two more runs and took a big 5-3 lead.
Gathering his troop before the top of the fifth inning, Coach Arcadio Rivera challenged the Loboes to battle back. "You knew it wouldn't be easy to come in here and win." Anchondo continued his dominating performance on the mound sending the greenback to the dugout, three up and three down. The Lobo defense responded in the bottom half of the inning by sending Larry Jasso to the mound. Isaiah Rios got on base with a single, but MHS shut the door and retired the next three batters.
Trailing 5-3, Miguel Gonzales put a bunt in play and was safe at first. Kenyon followed with a base on balls then Anchondo got serious, striking out the next three batters and ending the Lobo threat in the sixth. In the bottom half of the inning, Pecos picked up an assurance run from Nunez, backing the Loboes in a hole at 6-3
Monahans came out strong in the seventh with Travis Reed getting on base with a lead off single, followed by a Sean Merrick single. Kenny Almanza reached first base on an infield fly error, but the Eagles were able to recover and force out, Merrick on the play at second. With Reed on third base posing a scoring threat, Anchondo closed out the game with a strike out, giving Coach Elias Payen and the Pecos Eagles a 2-0 record in District 3-AAA.
The Loboes dropped to 0-2 in District and 7-6-1 on the season. The green will be back home Tuesday for an important district game with Lamesa.