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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas
Sports
Friday, April 30, 1999
Eagles thrashed by Harvesters, 12-0
By JON FULBRIGHT
Staff Writer
MIDLAND, Apr. 30 -- Both the Pecos Eagles' trip to, and
their stay in, the Class 4A softball playoffs lasted about
90 minutes Thursday night -- shorter than planned and
shorter than hoped for.
Thunderstorm and flash-flood warnings around Lubbock led
Pecos and the Pampa Harvesters to move their area round
playoff game to Midland's Ulmer Park, where the Harvesters
scored four times in the first inning and went on to a
five-inning, 12-0 victory over the Eagles.
Pampa pitcher Kimberly Clark tossed a two-hitter, striking
out 12 Pecos batters, while Pecos' defense didn't help
pitcher Alexa Marquez, as they committed seven errors that
helped the Harvesters score four times in the first and
fifth innings.
"We didn't hit the ball very well," Eagles' coach Tammy
Walls after the game. "I would guess we had about 10 or 11
strikeouts and about eight of those were watching.
"Becka (Wein) hadn't struck out all season and she struck
out, and Katrina (Quiroz) struck out with the bases loaded,"
she said. "This is the first time we've been in a playoffs
situation and it showed. We were nervous. On defense, it
took us three or four times to get the ball off the ground.
Two first inning errors, one of which cost the Eagles first
baseman Jessica Rodriguez for most of the game, helped the
Harvesters jump out to a quick 4-0 lead. Stephanie Cameron
and Lisa Dwight also had doubles and Lisa Kirkpatrick added
an RBI triple in the inning, while Pecos lost Rodriguez when
she was elbowed in the face trying for a throw on a Clark
grounder. She was later able to bat in the fifth inning, but
Laura Archuleta replaced her on the infield.
The Eagles stayed within four runs for the next two
innings, but in the fourth Cali Covalt reached on a one-out
infield single, and then after a sacrifice bunt Marquez
walked Cameron and gave up an RBI single to Kirkpatrick.
Clark then singled and after Cameron was wild-pitched home
Dwight collected her second double, scoring two runs for an
8-0 lead.
In the fifth Quiroz and center fielder Kathy Maldonado
collected going for a Stephanie Clark pop up for an error,
and things went downhill from there. After Shana Buck
singled and Covalt struck out, Archuleta couldn't field a
Marquez throw on a squeeze bunt by Cassi Scott, then threw
the ball past Quiroz trying for Scott at second. Two runs
scored, and after an RBI hit by Cameron a Kirkpatrick
grounder went through second baseman Ashley Salcido's legs
for another error, scoring Pampa's final run.
Meanwhile, Pecos threatened Clark and the Havesters only
two times, in the second and fifth innings. Valerie
Gonzales' one-out single in the second was followed by a
walk to Ashley Salcido, but Clark then struck out Becky
Dominguez and Mya Gomez to end the inning.
In the fifth, the Eagles needed three runs to keep the game
going, and loaded the bases with one out. Dominguez was hit
by a pitch and went to third when Cameron booted Marquez'
grounder to second for an error. Rodriguez then walked on a
3-2 count, but Clark came back to get Maldonado to bounce
into a fielder's choice out at home plate, and ended the
game by striking out Quiroz.
Archuleta was one of three freshmen subs who played
Thursday for Pecos, replacing three other freshmen,
including Rodriguez, who were out due to grades and
eligibility.
"You have to expect this from a young team. Some of them
have only been playing for two years and they're playing
against a team that's been playing all their lives," Walls
said of Pampa, which played club softball for a decade
before beginning varsity play this season. "I wish we had
hit the ball better and I'm disappointed that we lost, but
we're already looking ahead to next year and we don't lose
anybody (to graduation)."
The loss ended Pecos' season with a 12-7 record, while
Pampa, 14-5 and the District 3-4A runner-up will now face El
Paso Parkland in the Region I-4A quarterfinals next week.
District 3-4A champion Dumas will face Pecos' District 2-4A
rival Clint on Saturday in an area round matchup.
Pecos ends district play in San Elizario
PECOS, Apr. 30 -- Some other people besides Pecos Eagles'
coach Bubba Williams may be hoping pitcher Pifi Montoya has
a good outing Saturday, in his first start in over a month.
"Others" in this case are the Fabens Wildcats and Canutillo
Eagles, depending on the outcome on their game today in
Canutillo.
Pecos closes out regular season play with a 2 p.m. CDT game
against the San Elizario Eagles in San Elizario -- a game
which may or may not have a bearing on the third and final
playoff spot out of District 2-4A.
Pecos clinched the district title last Saturday with a 2-0
win at Clint, and can complete an undefeated season in 2-4A
play with a win over the host Eagles.
San Elizario, meanwhile, is awaiting the outcome of today's
game between Fabens and Canutillo. A Fabens victory would
give the Wildcats the final playoff berth by tiebreaker,
since they've beaten San Elizario twice this season.
However, a Canutillo win would give San Elizario a chance to
clinch the final spot, if they beat Pecos on Saturday.
Wins by Canutillo and Pecos would create a three-way tie
for third and force a playoff early next week. Fabens and
San Elizario are both currently 4-5 in district play, while
Canutillo is 3-6 after Tuesday's 4-1 loss to Pecos.
Williams has mostly gone with Josh Casillas and Oscar
Rodriguez on the mound in district, but with the playoffs
coming up, he gave Louis Valencia a start on April 20
against El Paso Mountain View and on Wednesday said Montoya
would get his chance in San Elizario.
"We're going to start Pifi and see what he can do,"
Williams said. Montoya is 1-1 on the season, beating West
back in March at the Snyder Tournament, then losing to
Colorado City a week later at the Midland Tournament -- the
last loss for the Eagles, who have won 10 straight since
them.
Montoya's only mound appearance in district play was in
relief of Rodriguez on March 27, in a 20-2 victory over
Mountain View.
Pecos rallied from a 3-0 first inning deficit at home on
April 9 to beat San Elizario by a 14-3 final score. Casillas
and Mason Abila had home runs off starter Robert Ceballos,
while Jose Herrera had a two-run shot off Rodriguez, who
earned the victory.
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
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Copyright 1999 by Pecos Enterprise
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