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Archive 2002

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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas

Sports

Monday, April 29, 2002

Eagles quickly close out 2-4A play with 10-0 win

By JON FULBRIGHT
Staff Writer

The San Elizario Eagles could almost have gotten back  home before sunset, considering how fast the Pecos Eagles took care of  their regular season-ending game Friday afternoon in Pecos.

In a game moved up from a 7 p.m. to a 5 p.m. start, the Eagles needed only 1:17 to shut out San Eli in five innings by a 10-0 score in both their final game as a member of District 2-4A and their final regular season Class 4A contest. Richard Rodriguez tossed a one-hitter, and Pecos' hitters touched starter Jaime Reyes for seven runs in the first inning, then picked up two runs in the third and one in the fourth off reliever Rod Esparza.

"This was a good game for us. We jumped on them early and wanted to win this last game," said Eagles' coach Bubba Williams. "Richard was working on his split (fastball). It's a good pitch the way he threw it today, and it was effective."

Coming off Matthew Levario's five-inning no-hitter over El Paso Mountain View three days earlier, Rodriguez retired the first eight San Eli batters he faced, before giving up a walk to Jaime Acosta and a single to Bo Solis with two outs in the third. Both runners would get into scoring position, but Rodriguez got Joel Morales to foul out to Ruvel Carrasco at third base to end the threat.

Rodriguez, who raised his season record to 4-2, also drove home the first run in the Eagles' seven-run first with a double down the line in left off Reyes, after David Elkins' lead off infield bouncer was thrown away by second baseman Solis. Mason Abila reached on an infield hit and one out later Rigo Ramirez singled to centerfield driving home both runners.

After a walk to Joey Ortega, a passed ball and a stolen base, Matthew Levario had another two-run single to center for a 5-0 Pecos lead. Reyes would get a second out, but left the game after shortstop Jose Herrera threw Javier Ramirez' grounder past first base and Elkins followed with a single. Esparza came on to pitch and retired Rodriguez, but not before Ramirez scored on a double steal for the seventh run of the afternoon.

Esparza allowed two runners in the second before getting out of trouble, but in the third Elkins singled with two outs and scored when Reyes, now at third base, threw away Rodriguez's grounder. He went all the way to third on the play, and scored on a wild pitch by Esparza.

Up 9-0, the Eagles got the run they needed to end the game early in the fourth, when Rigo Ramirez singled, stole second, went to third on a passed ball by Luis Sotelo and scored on Levario's sacrifice fly to center.

Up by 10, Rodriguez had a little control problem in the fifth, walking Angel Muela with a 3-2 pitch, then hitting Acosta with one out. But he was then able to pick Muela off second base, and after a wild pitch, got Solis to ground to third, ending the game.

Pecos played for the second game in a row on Friday without starting first baseman and pitcher Barney Rodriguez, who was hospitalized for tests on an infected lower leg, while outfielder Oscar Parada was out of town with the Eagles' band this past weekend. Carrasco started his second straight game at third base, with Rigo Ramirez playing at first, while Freddy Torres moved into Parada's spot in centerfield, while Ortega started in Torres' normal spot in left field. Both players were 1-for-3 on the day, while the Eagles picked up nine hits overall against San Eli.

"The kids are hitting the ball real well and have got a good attitude, and that's what we need going into the playoffs," Williams said. "We've got two playoff scrimmage games against Seminole on Thursday, and they're one of the top 3A teams in the state, so that will be a good test for us."

The Eagles and Indians will play this Thursday night at 5 and 7 p.m. in Seminole, while Pecos awaits the winner of the Canyon-Frenship bi-district playoff series. Frenship ended up in third in the District 4-4A standings after losing their final game to San Angelo Lake View, and will face Canyon this weekend in Plainview.

Canyon defeated Pecos in three games last year in the area round of the Class 4A playoffs, when the Eagles ended up with a 19-8 season record. The Eagles already have bettered that mark this year, with Friday's win lifting them to 21-5 on the season and 9-1 in district, including the April 9 game they had to forfeit to Clint for using an ineligible player. Including that 12-4 win, the Eagles have won 18 straight games dating back to a 5-2 loss to El Paso Burges on March 7.

Pecos has rough time at regional track meet

The Region I-4A Track and Field Championships weren't very kind to the Pecos Eagles track teams, as they failed to get any competitors to the state finals in their final year of Class 4A competition.

Pecos' girls managed two points from a fifth place finish by sophomore Stephanie Herrera in the discus, while Pecos' boys were shut out in the point standings on Friday and Saturday at Angelo State University, even though both coaches Roxie Chavez and Jerry Parent said several Eagles improved on their results from the District 2-4A meet in Pecos two weeks ago.

"The 800 meter relay team cut their time from district, but they didn't get into the finals," Chavez said, while 200 meter runner Jessica Rodriguez also had a better time in the preliminaries on Friday, but failed to make the finals.

Herrera placed fifth in the discus despite throwing five feet less than she did in winning the district title, going 116 feet on Friday. Stephenville's Cookie Lonergan easily won the event with a 133-foot-11 throw, while Big Spring sophomore Cierra Butler was second, with a 125-3 effort.

"If she had just thrown like she did in practice she would have done OK," said Chavez. "It was tough on Stephanie, but I told her it's experience. She improved from last year, and that's what we wanted."

Chavez said the Eagles' other qualifier in the running events, 300-meter hurdler Christina Arenivas, also missed out on the finals.

Fort Worth-area teams and Lubbock Estacado dominated the top spots in the meet on both the boys and girls sides, with Fort Worth Eastern Hills and Fort Worth Wyatt placing first and second on the girls' side, while North Crowley, Wyatt and Estacado were 1-2-3 in the boys' division.

"It's hard to run against the Fort Worth schools, especially Dunbar, Eastern Hills and Wyatt," said Parent, who said both sprinter Rashad Terry and the 1600 meter relay team improved on their times on Friday, but failed to make the finals.

"Rashad had some guy time him at 22.2 (in the 200 meters), and he was at the finish line. We had him at 22.7 and the FAT (electronic timer) had him at 23.13," Parent said.

"The 1600 relay ran a 3:35 hand-timed, which was slightly better than the FAT, but they still ran better than at district, and ran about as well as they could," he said.

"Will Armstrong had a personal best 12-6 in the pole vault, but he didn't place. He probably got between eighth and ninth," the Eagles' coach added. Pecos' 400-meter relay team ran just over a 44 second time in the prelims and failed to make the finals, while 110-meter hurdler Jason Gonzales also didn't make the finals.

Only one District 2-4A regional qualifier, 3200-meter runner Alex Ramos of El Paso Mountain View, advanced to the state track meet, running a 9:36. 36 time to earn the second place state berth.

This is the final year the Eagles will be in the Class 4A competition. Starting next year, they'll compete in the Region I-3A track competiton, held at Ratliff Stadium in Odessa.

Eagles-Maidens playoff game scheduled for Friday

The Pecos Eagles' Class 4A area round softball playoff game against the San Angelo Lake View Maidens has tentatively been scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Friday at the Ratliff Stadium Softball Complex in Odessa, coach Tammy Walls said today.

The 14-4 Eagles will be seeking their first-ever playoff victory, after falling in the area round of the 4A playoffs each of the past three years after winning the District 2-4A title. Lake View, which began softball a year ahead of Pecos and defeated the Eagles twice in their inagural season in 1998, advanced to the post-season for the first time this year, and defeated Borger, 5-2, in the bi-district round of the playoffs on Friday, after finishing third in District 4-4A this season. The Maidens are 19-12 overall.

"We're the home team for the first time ever this year. Hopefully that will help," said Walls. Pecos was routed in their first-ever playoff game three years ago by Pampa, then were edged out each of the past two seasons, falling in extra innings to Hereford two years ago and by a 2-0 score to Andrews last season.

Andrews will be taking on Pecos' district rival, Fabens, in the area round of the 4A playoffs this week, after the Wildcats defeated El Paso Riverside, 3-2, in their bi-district game on Friday. Fabens finished third in 2-4A this season, while second place San Elizario lost their bi-district game to El Paso Burges by a 5-4 final score.



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Pecos Enterprise
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