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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas
Sports
February 26, 2001
Eagles, Loboes split error-plagued openers
By JON FULBRIGHT
Staff Writer
PECOS, February 26, 2001 - After splitting a pair of well-played low-scoring
games to open the 2000 season last February, the Pecos Eagles and Monahans
Loboes went out with much younger teams this past weekend and played a
pair of not-so-well-played high scoring games to kick off the 2001 baseball
season.
The Eagles squandered several late-inning chances and ran into problems
on defense at home on Friday, as Monahans rallied from a 6-3 deficit to
score a nine-inning, 12-7 win in the teams' season opener. Then on Saturday
in Monahans the Eagles missed on some early inning scoring changes, but
it was a pair of double plays the Loboes couldn't turn in the fifth inning
that opened the gates for Pecos, as they turned a 3-2 deficit into a six-inning,
15-5 victory.
Capi Magana went the distance on the mound Saturday to get the win,
and could have shut the Loboes out were in not for several errors by his
teammates and problems by the umpires interpreting the infield fly rule
in the windy conditions at Monahans. The junior allowed just three hits
and struck out six in scoring the victory, and was able to end the game
in the sixth under the 10-run rule by fanning Shorty Porras, after three
Eagle errors cut a 15-3 lead to 15-5.
"Capi looked very good and we hit the ball," said Eagles' coach Bubba
Williams. "Mason Abila stroking the ball right now and David (Elkins) and
Rigo (Ramirez) hit the ball real well."
Abila was 5-for-5 on Saturday with a double and triple, while Elkins
had the big hit in the Eagles' five-run fifth inning, a two-out double
to left-center field that scored two runs, and was followed by Ramirez'
RBI single to center.
That came after Pecos had take a 4-3 lead thanks to an error by new
third baseman Lucas Ramos to open the inning and then two wide throws to
first, one by Ramos and the second by Josh Aguilar, that cost Monahans
chances at double plays.
The Loboes already had turned two double plays in the first three innings,
both on Matthew Levario, who then had to leave the game with a hand injury.
"He tore his nail off in the (between inning) warm-up," Williams said.
At the time, it seemed like the latest problem in a frustrating weekend
for Pecos. Levario's first double play grounder came after Angel Villalobos
miss-read a sign and bunted with the bases loaded and no one out in the
first inning. Pitcher Keith Balderez easily threw out Richard Rodriguez
at home, and the double play ended the threat.
Ramirez doubled home Magana with a run in the second, but Aguilar came
back with a two-run single in the bottom of the inning, after the umpired
first ruled a force out at third base on a dropped infield pop up by Rodriguez,
then sent Ramos to third and Ryan Martinez to second while calling batter
Josh Robison out.
Pecos tied the game in the third on a trio of Monahans errors around
the double play, which occurred when Abila was thrown out at home trying
to score on Levario's ground out. Then in the fourth Monahans regained
the lead on another Robison infield pop-up, this one not ruled an infield
fly and fell in for a fielder's choice out (with tag) at second base, and
then a two out pop by Aguilar that Abila dropped in the wind, allowing
Ramos to score.
Pecos tied the game off new pitcher Josh Melius in the fifth when Sebero
Jaquez was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, and when ahead when Magana
was save on the missed double play by the Loboes. Ramos replaced Melius
after Ramirez' single and got out of the inning, but was then hammered
by seven runs in the sixth by the Eagles, which included a suicide squeeze
bunt by Jaquez to score Garcia, a straight steal of home by Magana and
Abila's triple off the 344-foot sign in left-center field.
The inning was helped by another two-run error by Monahans, which continued
the pattern from Friday, when both teams had their problems both on defense
and on the bases. However, this time it was the Loboes who used a five-run
ninth inning off Ramirez to get the victory.
He came on to replace Villalobos in the ninth and walked Noah Miles,
then gave up singles to Balderez and Scott Moore before Robison doubled
to right-center field scoring what turned out to be the winning runs.
Pecos had to rally twice in the game, from a 3-1 deficit after four
innings and after falling behind 7-6 in the top of the eighth inning. The
Eagles took a 2-0 lead off Miles in their first two at-bats of the season,
as Levario doubled and scored on a single by Garcia. Monahans, which collected
11 hits in eight innings off Villalobos, went up 2-1 in the second with
a pair of unearned runs. Miles walked, Balderez singled and Ramirez dropped
Moore's fly to left field to tie the game with one out, and Aguilar singled
Moore home after Balderez was thrown out at home on Robison's single to
left.
They got another run on a Balderez RBI single in the third, before
Pecos came back to score five times and chase Miles from the mound in the
fifth.
The Eagles loaded the bases when Miles gave up an infield hit by Elkins,
a walk to Roger Gutierrez and hit Levario. Garcia singled one run in and
Abila followed with an RBI single that also scored Levario, when the throw
bounced past Miles and into the Loboes' dugout. Aguilar came on to pitch
after that and surrendered a sacrifice fly to Jaquez, while the last run
scored when Rordriugez reached on an error.
But the Eagles gave two of those runs right back in the sixth when
Elkins misjudged Balderez' fly ball to right into a three-base error, and
Magana threw away Aguilar's grounder to shortstop after a wild pitch scored
Balderez and Robison doubled off Villalobos. Monahans then tied the game
in the seventh on a Porras single and two bunts, by Wilson and Melius,
the first for a hit and the second thrown away by Abila.
The Loboes loaded the bases with one out, but Pecos survived when Balderez
hit into an inning-ending double play. In the seventh, though, Levario
couldn't handle Melius' hard shot to his left with two outs, allowing Robison
to score and give Monahans a one-run lead. The Eagles were able to tie
the game when Ramirez led off the bottom of the eighth with a double, went
to third on a wild pitch and, after a walk to Levario, scored when Garcia
hit into a double play.
That was just bad luck for the Eagles, but they were hurt in the sixth
and seventh innings by bad execution, as Levario missed a bunt sign in
the sixth with none out and two on, and Elkins was thrown out at third
base, and in the seventh Rodriguez was caught off third with one out and
two on, on a fake double-steal.
"Too many errors and bad baserunning, but we will get better," Williams
said. "Angel did a good job pitching, we just didn't make the plays behind
him."
The Eagles will now take their 1-1 record into a 7 p.m. home game Tuesday
night against the Fort Stockton Panthers, followed by a return trip to
Monahans this coming weekend for the Sandhills Baseball Tournament. Monahans
did sweep Pecos' junior varsity on Friday and Saturday, winning the season
opener by an 11-3 score, and then taking Saturday's game, 13-12.
Coaches happy with Pecos' Sandhills results
By JON FULBRIGHT
Staff Writer
PECOS, February 26, 2001 - For Pecos Eagles track coaches Lily Talamantez
and Jerry Parent, this weekend's Sandhills Relays at Monahans were the
first step towards improving on disappointing 2000 seasons for the boys
and girls' programs, even if the overall point totals didn't show it.
Pecos' girls picked up 29 points and finished seventh out of 11 teams
in Division III, won by Midland Greenwood with 158 points. The boys were
also seventh, with 28 points in Division I, which Monahans won with 148
points. The totals included one first place finish on the day, by Daniel
Terrazas in the 400 meter dash, and a couple of third place finishes in
the relays, from the boys' 400 meter team and the girls' 800 meter squad.
"I was really pleased with the way things ended," said Talamantez,
who also got a trio of fourth place finishes in running events, from Michelle
Saenz in the 800 meters, Bre'Ann Windham in the 400 meters and Tiana Terry
in the 100 meters.
Talamantez said she had to juggle her lineup last week, after losing
a third of her team to grades for the next couple of weeks, and said some
other girls didn't run in the windy conditions on Saturday due to injuries.
"The freshmen really stepped it up as susbstitutes for some of my upperclassemen.
They had some injuries and I didn't want them getting hurt."
Windham was one of the freshmen runners, and finished with a 67.50
time in the 400 meters. Terry, a sophomore, and Saenz, a junior also were
part of the 800 meter relay team with Jessica Rodriguez and Danielle Avila,
which ran a 1:58.75 time to win third. Just before that, Terry ran a 13.70
in the 100 meters and Saenz had a 2:47 time in the 800 meters.
"Our times in everything were better than at the first meet last year,
so we're looking a lot stronger," Talamantez said.
The 800 meter relay team was the only one to earn a regional berth
for the girls last season. Rodriguez, who also was a member of that team,
said, "I think this track season is going to be better, and we're going
to have more than one qualifier for regionals."
The girls also picked up a couple of points from a fifth place finish
by senior Nicole Payne in the 1600 meter run (6:29.70), while in the field
events, the Eagles got a fifth place from Christina Arenivas in the long
jump, with a 15-foot-7 effort, and a sixth by Stephanie Herrera in the
shot put, with a 31-3¼ throw.
Terrazas was the Eagles' lone district champion last April, and began
2001 by winning the 400 meters in a wind-hampered time of 54.1. Earlier,
he was part of the 400 meter relay team, along with Jason Gonzales, Peter
Juarez and Eddie Mata, that held off Fort Stockton for third in the 400
meter relay, with a 46.18 time.
"I was happy we scored more points here than we did last year," Parent
said. "Overall it was a learning experience for most of our kids. Now we
know where we can put people."
Pecos' other six points at the meet came from fifth place finishes
by Gonzales in the 300 meter hurdles (45.8), Matthew Levario in the long
jump (18-11) and from the 1600 meter relay team of Terrazas, Gonzales,
Juarez and John Parent, which finished sixth with a 3:51.1 time.
"It's not a great time, but I had three guys not experienced in running
it," the Eagles' coach said.
Parent also said the Eagles got a trio of seventh place finishes on
Saturday, from Peter Juarez in the triple jump, Joe Navarette in the discus
and Isaiah Juarez in the 3200 meter run.
The Sandhills meet was the first of five meets for Pecos before the
District 2-4A Track and Field Championships in April at Canutillo. The
sixth scheduled meet, the West of the Pecos Relays, had to be canceled
because of a lack of teams, Parent said. The Eagles' next meet is this
Friday and Saturday at the Comanche Relays in Fort Stockton.
Eagle golfers fly better in wind, but girls'
tournament grounded
PECOS, February 26, 2001 - The Pecos Eagle boys' golf team may be hoping
for gale force winds when regional tournament play rolls around in April,
based on the results of this weekend's Tall City Invitational at Midland.
The Eagles ended up 13th overall in Division II of the tournament,
which featured mostly Class 4A teams, but playing in 40 mph winds on Saturday,
the Eagles cut 12 strokes off their score and were far closer to the leaders
than they were under better conditions on the opening day of the 36-hole
tournament.
Down in Fort Stockton, Pecos' girls didn't get to see how they would
do under high wind conditions, as t he final round of the Blue Ribbon Invitational
was canceled, leaving the Eagles in third place out of 16 teams with a
362 score.
The boys shot a 381 on Friday and were 68 strokes behind eventual division
winner Snyder following the opening round. On Saturday, the Eagles didn't
beat the Tigers, but their 369 was only 30 shots behind Snyder, and within
10- to 20 stroke of most of the other first round leaders.
"They played well in the wind," said coach Kim Anderson. "I'm proud
of them for just finishing. They gutted it out on a day I wouldn't have
been out there."
Pecos ended with a 36-hole score of 750, while Snyder won with a 652
score Andrews was second, at 672, and El Paso Cathedral finished third,
with a 681 total.
Chase Laurence shot 92s both days for a 184 score, while Casey Breiten
shot 93s for both rounds to finish with a 186 score. Cutting their totals
after the opening round were David Bradley, who shot a 98-90-188, Sal Nichols,
who shot a 98-95-193, and Jake McKinney, who cut his opening round 113
to a 94 despite the high winds.
"All the kids after they marked their ball would have to move it like
at a scramble because the wind would blow it," Anderson said. "It was tough.
I thought they were going to cancel it after nine holes, but they didn't."
They did cancel the tournament in Fort Stockton on Saturday before
the girls even got a chance to start.
"Friday was windy and played tricks on the ball all day long. It was
pretty bad all day, but then we got there Saturday and the wind was really
bad, so the tournament chairman canceled it," coach Tina Hendrick said.
Pecos shot a 362 to place third, 30 strokes in back of Andrews and
20 behind the host Prowlers. Odessa Permian was fourth with a 374 score,
while the Eagles' junior varsity team placed 10th in the 16-team
field, shooting a 423.
Salem Mitchell finished in the Top 10 in the medallist race for the
Eagles' varsity, finishing with an 88 on Friday. Lauren Martinez and Brandi
North shot 90s, Cassie Foster had a 94 and Candace Hilliard shot a 96.
The JV was led by Sarah McKinney, who shot a 100. Dena Dutchover was
a stroke behind at 101, Kristan Aguilar and Bianca Mendoza both shot 111s
and Kattie Davis had a 112. The Eagles other golfer, Jenna Cranfill, played
as a medallist and shot a 115.
Pecos' varsity girls will be playing in Midland this weekend, while
the boys will have the week off. Meanwhile, the JV girls will host their
own tournament on Tuesday at the Reeves County Golf Course, beginning at
9 a.m. Hendrick said Andrews, Fort Stockton, Monahans, Odessa High, Midland
Christian and Marfa would be entered in the tournament.
Pecos Enterprise
York M. "Smokey" Briggs, Publisher
Division of Buckner News Alliance, Inc.
324 S. Cedar St., Pecos, TX 79772
Phone 915-445-5475, FAX 915-445-4321
e-mail news@pecos.net
Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium.
Copyright 2000 by Pecos Enterprise
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