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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas
Sports
Monday, March 11, 2002
Eagles earn consolation at Cotton Valley tourney
By JON FULBRIGHT
Staff Writer
After starting the tournament by almost being no-hit, the Pecos Eagles
closed out the Cotton Valley Tournament by nearly getting a no-hitter on
Saturday in San Elizario, before settling for a victory in the consolation
title game with a 12-3 win over Cobre, N.M.
The Eagles, 5-2 losers to El Paso Burges in the opening round of play
on Thursday, came back to wallop district rival San Elizario on Friday, 20-3,
then defeated another 2-4A opponent on Saturday morning, beating Clint, 7-4,
to advance to the consolation finals.
Capi Magana allowed just one run over the first six innings against Clint
in his first start of the season, while the Eagles took a 2-1 lead in the
fifth against starter Fernie Lopez, then broke through for five runs in the
sixth inning against reliever Royce Hickman.
Against Cobre, Rigo Ramirez came on in the first inning in relief of David
Elkins, after he walked in a run following a one-out error. Ramirez would
get the final out of the inning and then shut the Indians down until the
fifth, when Cobre collected all three of their hits and two more runs, after
Pecos had built a 12-1 lead.
"We probably should have won the tournament, but we just didn't hit the
ball against Burges," said Eagles' coach Bubba Williams. "But we did get
a look at a couple of district teams, and Capi threw a good game. They got
some hits to right field, but they couldn't get around on him when they hit
the ball, and he's just going to get better."
The Eagles had their own problems against Lopez, even when they reached
base. The lefthander picked off two runners in the first inning, and allowed
only one earned run in the first four innings, on a Richard Rodriguez RBI
single in the third after Magana reached base on a leadoff error by third
baseman Michael Fierro and Rigo Ramirez was able to elude a tag attempt by
first baseman Jonathan Baeza on an infield grounder.
Clint had taken a 1-0 lead in the top of the third on an unearned run,
when Elkins fell down trying to catch David Fierro's fly ball to right after
a double by Baeza down the right field line with one out. The Lions had put
two runners on base in each of the first two innings, but Magana was able
to pitch out of trouble, striking out both Fierros to end the first and snaring
Hickman's hard grounder back up the middle to end the second.
Pecos took the lead for good in the fifth off Lopez, when Magana walked
to lead off the inning and Elkins singled up the middle with two outs to
score courtesy runner Jose Reyes. Magana then struck out the side in the
top of the sixth, part of a nine-strikeout game for the senior, and the Eagles
got to Hickman for five runs on four hits in the bottom of the inning.
Barney Rodriguez' bloop single scored Freddy Torres and Oscar Parada,
and Ramirez and Elkins followed with RBI singles to help build a 7-1 lead,
which allowed Magana to survive control problems in the seventh. He walked
three batters around a single to force home a run, then gave up another double
to Baeza that got the tying run to the plate, but then struck out Michael
Fierro and got David Fierro on a fly to right to end the game.
Against Cobre, Elkins ran into control problems at the outset, walking
three straight batters after a one out error to force home a run and bring
Ramirez on to pitch. "We were trying David in a game because we were short
on pitchers at the end of the tournament, but he had some control problems,
so I brought Rigo on and he did a good job," Williams said. "We'll work with
David for next year."
Cobre pitcher Les Gonzales was hurt by his defense, as only three of Pecos'
12 runs were earned, none in the Eagles' nine-run second inning.
Barney Rodriguez would single and eventually score on errors by Edward
Udero in center field and catcher Gabe Macias. Magana then reached on an
error by third baseman Eddie Torres and Ramirez got on when Mickey Rodriguez
booted his grounder to second. Parada followed with a two-run double followed
by consecutive singles from Elkins, Richard Rodriguez, Mason Abila and Torres
that made it 6-1. One out later, Magana got on after another error, this
by shortstop Jason Marin, and Ramirez then cleared the bases with a triple
over Udero's head in center field.
Pecos would add another run in the fourth and two in the fifth, as Williams
let all his reserves pinch-hit and got a two-run double from Jaime Ramirez.
But in the bottom of the fifth Cobre pinch-hitter Bryan Moreno broke up Ramirez'
no-hitter with a single to right field, and after Udero singled off the second
base bag Marin doubled down the left field line to score both runners. Ramirez
then got the final two outs and the game ended under the tournament's seven-run
rule.
Gasden, N.M. ended up winning the tournament over Fabens by a 5-1 score,
while Burges was routed by Alpine in the third place game, 14-0. The Eagles
will be in the Alpine Tournament this coming Thursday, opening with a 10:15
a.m. game against defending Class 3A state champion Wimberly, but before
then will host Midland Christian on Tuesday night in a 7 p.m. game.
Pecos track teams get 4th at Odessa, Carlsbad meets
The Pecos Eagles boys track team picked up a couple of first place finishes
on Saturday and finished fourth overall at the West Texas Relays in Odessa,
while Pecos' girls picked up one first place finish on Saturday in Carlsbad,
and also finished fourth in their division at the Caveman Relays.
The girls wound up with 43 points at the meet, which was won by Alamogordo
with 116 points. Carlsbad beat out Andrews for second by one-half point,
109½ to 109, while the Eagles wound up two points ahead of Hobbs for
fourth place.
Stephanie Herrera picked up the girls' gold medal, winning the shot put
with a 33-foot-5½ effort. She also finished third in the discus competition
with a throw of 101-foot-3. Pecos had two other medals in the field events,
from Mindy Harrison, who was second in the triple jump with a 32-foot-3½
effort, and Nikki Reyna, who placed second in the high jump, clearing 4-foot-9.
In the running events, the Eagles managed one medal, finishing second
in the 800-meter relay with a 1:55.55 time.
In Odessa, Jason Gonzales earned the Eagles' two gold medals, winning
both the 110-meter high hurdles and the 300 intermediate hurdles on Saturday.
Gonzales ran a 15.91 in the 110 hurdles and had a 42.09 time in the 300,
while teammate Jack Bradley placed fifth in both races.
In the field events, the Eagles earned one medal on Friday and another
on Saturday at the West Texas Relays. Tony Trujillo was third in the shot
put on Friday, with a throw of 43-foot-7, and Peter Juarez placed fifth in
the triple jump on Saturday, with a 40-foot-2¾ effort.
Pecos' other two points came from Justin Lara, sixth in the pole vault,
and Ricky Plummer, sixth in the 400-meter dash.
Overall, the Eagles finished with 61 points in the Class 4A division,
which was won by Andrews with 125 points. Hereford was second with 83 points,
while Pecos finished five points behind Plainview for third and three points
ahead of fifth place Big Spring.
The boys will be off this week for Spring Break, while the girls will
head back to New Mexico this Saturday, to compete in the Hobbs Relays.
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 newsdesk@nwol.net
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Copyright 2002 by Pecos Enterprise
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