Pensacola Sweeps El Paso with 11-7 Win

August 17, 2009

The Pensacola Pelicans are rolling, topping the Diablos 11-7 on Sunday night to complete a series sweep. Ron Hill earned the win in Pensacola’s fourth straight, their nineteenth win in their last 26 games. The W, coupled with a Captains’ loss, extends the Pelicans lead in first place to 4.5 games.

pelssunfront.jpgThe Pelicans came from behind again Sunday evening, watching as the Diablos put up four runs in two innings against Pelicans’ starter Adam Brandenburg. Kennard Bibbs walked and moved to second on a wild pitch. David Washington walked, and both runners moved up on a passed ball. Alvarez reached on an error by the third baseman, and Bibbs scored on the play. Even though Juan Camacho grounded into a double play, Washington scored from the third, and the Diablos were up by two.

El Paso added to their total with two more in the bottom of the second. Eddy Rodriguez singled and Bobby Andrews did too. Bibbs walked to load the bases, and David Washington walked to force in a run. With the bases still loaded Juan Camacho walked as well, giving the Diablos a 4-0 lead. Brandenburg struck out Mike Provencher to end the inning, but that would be the last batter he faced, lasting two innings, allowing four earned runs on three hits, walking five and striking out three.

The Pelicans earned a run an inning from the third through the fifth. Adam Deleo singled to start the third, moved to second on a Dallas Christison bunt-single, and made it to third base on Francisco Leandro’s base hit. Antoin Gray lifted a sacrifice fly to right field for his seventieth RBI of the year, plating Deleo.

In the fourth inning Marcos Rodriguez led off with a single, advanced to second on Adam Darby’s bunt-single, and came home when Deleo hit him in. An inning later the Pels scored again when Leandro started the inning with a walk. He moved to second on a groundout by Marshall McDougall, and came home on Marcos Rodriguez’s base knock. The Pels had made it a one-run game.

Bubba Nelson pitched for the Pelicans from the third through the sixth. Nelson was brilliant, allowing no hits, walking four and striking out four. Ron Hill pitched the seventh and eighth, yielding just two hits while striking out three. Hill was on the line for the win when the Pelicans scored five in the top of the eighth.

Joe Klein relieved El Paso’s Justin Mallett, allowing a leadoff single to Chase Burch. Adam Darby followed him with a single, and Adam Deleo made his third hit of the night a big one: Deleo connected for a two-RBI triple to score Burch and Darby, and the Pelicans had the lead. Pensacola added insurance by scoring Deleo on a Dallas Christison sacrifice fly. Reynolds singled, Leandro walked, and Antoin Gray had a double that scored both men, giving the Pelicans an 8-4 lead.

The Pelicans added three more runs in the top of the ninth against El Paso’s Mike Cervera. Adam Darby notched his fourth hit of the night, and Dallas Christison reached on an error by the third baseman. Kevin Reynolds made it to first on an error by the shortstop, and both Darby and Christison scored on the play. Reynolds would score the Pelicans’ last run when the pitcher made an error throwing to first on a Leandro comebacker. The Pelicans led by seven to enter the last of the ninth.

Hunter Davis came in for the ninth, and added a little excitement. David Washington singled to start, and with one out, Camacho doubled to score Washington. Provencher followed with a single to plate Camacho, and Jeff Vincent walked. Eddy Rodriguez reached on an error by the second baseman to load the bases, bringing Jerry Verastegui to the plate. He walked and Provencher scored. With one out, Andrews came to the plate as the tying run. Davis struck him out, and the game was up to Kennard Bibbs. Bibbs popped up to the second baseman, and the ballgame was over.

The Pelicans head to Shreveport four and a half games ahead in first place, five games up on the Captains. The Pelicans start the three-game series on Monday, with first pitch scheduled for 7:05 p.m. Central Time.

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