Loboes head into Sandhills Tourney with win over Pecos
    by Dave Poynor, Staff Writer -- Monahans News -- March 5, 2004

After opening the season with a 4-2 loss in Alpine Friday, the Loboes won Round 1 of the always exciting Pecos-Monahans rivalry Tuesday night, setting the stage for the Sandhills Tournament here this weekend.

The regular season opener pitted the Green against an Alpine team that is pretty good, and very good when Jamie Rojo is pitching.  He scattered nine hits and did not let the Loboes rally in the game, allowing a run in the second and one in the seventh.  In truth, Monahans probably could have won the game if coach Arcadio Rivera had pitched his ace, Dimas Porras.  As tough a competitor as Rivera is, his focus as of now is building a pitching rotation that goes at least three deep.

"We need to find some pitchers t go along with Dimas," he said after the first game with his entire team together.  "We were just not in sync in the game.  We have to do fundamental things better, like bunting people around, playing hit and run, and just being a sound baseball team.  We need to learn these things on the run and in a hurry."

As is always the case in a Lobo-Eagle baseball contest, no lead is every safe, and anything can and will happen.  Monahans got off to a good start in the game with five runs in the first two innings.  Pecos is a team with a handful of freshman and sophomores sprinkled through-out the lineup, and they are making some rookie mistakes early.  Every district coach predicts them to be a playoff contender, and they showed some resolve b y scoring four runs in the sixth.  Kevin Kenyon came on in relief for the Loboes, shutting Pecos down, earning a save, and preserving Houston Stockman's first win.  Stockman's first win.  Stockman and Kenyon were playing basketball last week, and both made strong showings.

"Houston threw well," said Rivera.  "He had 5 K's and only allowed two hits.  We were really pleased with his pitching effort.  Kevin threw two innings of relief and did a good job as well."

The Loboes will attempt to win their own tournament this weekend while working new pitchers in.  Monahans faces Denver City Thursday in the opening round of the Sandhills Tournament co-hosted by Monahans and Kermit.  Win or lose, their second round game will be a challenge.  Alpine and Presidio play at 3:00 in Kermit Thursday, and winners and loser match-up with the D.C. - Lobo game.  Crane, Lubbock Christian, Lamesa, Colorado City, Greenwood, Big Lake, and Pecos round out the rest of the tournament field.  The championship game this year moves back to Monahans Saturday at 7:00 pm.