By Frank Mentesana
Special to LIVE!
August 8, 2007 ALEXANDRIA, Louisiana – The San Angelo Colts (18-16) fell back to eight games out of first place after losing to the league-leading Alexandria Aces (26-8) 4-3 in the opener of a three-game series Tuesday night at Bringhurst Field. The Colts have 15 games remaining in the season, nine of which are the against the Aces, who they’ve beaten only twice in 11 meetings after tonight.
Colts starter Matt Duff struck out the side in the first inning but Alexandria grabbed an early 1-0 lead in the frame on a one-out, solo home run by Richard Paz, his ninth of the year. Billie Hicks picked up the first Colts’ hit in the third-a single with one out off Alexandria starter Josue Matos, who was making his Aces debut. Matos then walked Ronnie Gaines, and Jason Diaz hit an RBI double to score Hicks and even the game at 1-1. Brett Donahoo, the next batter, hit a groundball to third and Gaines was eventually tagged out in a rundown between third and home on the play.
The Aces regained the lead in the fourth when Selwyn Langaigne hit a two-run homer, his sixth of the year, to make it 3-1. The Colts battled back to tie it again, plating two runs in the fifth inning off Matos. Wyn Diggs led off the frame with a walk and went to third base on a one-out double by Gaines. Diaz recorded his second RBI of the night, singling home Diggs to make it 3-2. Gaines knotted the game at 3-3, later scoring on a wild pitch by Matos, who left the game in the inning after suffering from what appeared to be a cramp in his right leg. Charlie Foster (2-0) relieved Matos and induced Madison Edwards to fly out to end the inning and keep it a tie game.
Alexandria came right back in the bottom of the fifth, scoring an unearned run to take a 4-3 lead, which they would never give up. With runners on first and second and one out, Paz hit a grounder to the shortstop that could have resulted in a double play. However, the second baseman Diaz made a low throw to first as it skipped past Andres Rodriguez. Eddie Fitzpatrick, who was on second base to begin the play, sprinted for the plate and was safe when the throw home by Rodriguez, who recovered the ball in front of the first-base dugout, went off the glove of the catcher Diggs. Diaz and Rodriguez were both charged with errors on the play, as the Aces took a 4-3 edge.
After that inning, Duff (8-5) retired nine of the next 10 batters for a complete game, albeit in a losing effort. The right-hander threw eight innings, allowing four runs, three earned, on just six hits with five strikeouts and three walks. Foster pitched 2 2/3 scoreless innings with one hit for the win since the starter, Matos, didn’t last the minimum five innings required to qualify for a victory. Juan Ovalles struck out the side in the eighth and Justin Dowdy hurled a 1-2-3 ninth for his 20th save.
The Colts continue this three-game series in Alexandria with game two at 7:05 p.m. on Wednesday, August 8. The Colts, who have just six home games left, return to Foster Field on Friday, August 10 to start a three-game series with the Edinburg Coyotes. First pitch on Friday, which is “Click It or Ticket” Night, is set for 7:05 p.m.