3/15/2008 - Roadrunners Swept in Texarkana
TEXARKANA – It has become one of the Angelina College Roadrunners’
least favorite road trips of the season, and for good reason.
Playing against the team to which AC coach Jeff Livin refers as “a
constant thorn in our side,” the Roadrunners dropped both games of a
doubleheader to Texarkana’s Bulldogs.
The ‘Runners fell 8-2 in the opener after committing four errors,
walking four batters and hitting another three. The Bulldogs took
advantage of every mistake in winning their first conference game of
the season.
They’d earn their second win in Region XIV play with a 3-2 win in the
nightcap. In that game, AC pitcher Corey Benevides tossed a solid
seven innings, only to lose by a single run when the Roadrunner
offense stranded 12 runners.
“We’ve got to play better baseball than we did today, that’s for
sure,” Livin said. “We didn’t make plays, we didn’t make good pitches
and we didn’t get the hits when we needed them.
“We’re a better team than this. We’ve just got to start showing it.”
Benevides lasted 7 2/3 innings, making it into the seventh having
allowed a single Bulldog run in the first. The Friendswood freshman
allowed eight hits, five of them doubles, but managed one streak in
which he retired 15 of 17 batters.
AC built a shaky 2-1 lead on an RBI groundout by Keith Prestridge and
an RBI single from Bryan Mallett. But the Roadrunners, who finished
the game with just six hits, couldn’t get the big hit when they needed
it, leaving 12 runners on base over nine innings.
And as has been the case over the years, Texarkana wouldn’t go away.
Benevides retired David Phillips on a ground ball to open the seventh,
then gave up back-to-back singles to Lance Marvel and Dean Malthouse.
A passed ball moved Marvel to third just before the Malthouse hit,
allowing him to score on the play. Zach Fowler reached on a fielder’s
choice then scored ahead of pinch-hitter Gip Hendrix’ double to give
the Bulldogs the 3-2 win.
The Roadrunners also led 2-0 in the opener, scoring a run in the first
when Austin Lasprilla walked, moved to second on an errant pickoff
throw and scored ahead of Jake Rowell’s single. AC tacked on another
run in the fourth, with Rowell drawing a walk and moving to third on a
Chris Andreas sac bunt and an RBI single from Ryan Kelley.
That was the extent of the ‘Runner scoring, with AC getting just three
singles over the final three innings.
That might have been enough for starter Jason Gurka had it not been
for a little too much Roadrunner generosity. Texarkana scored twice in
the bottom of the second on just one hit, after Gurka hit a batter and
walked three more. Bulldogs Malthouse and Trey Buck took advantage of
those free passes, with each picking up RBIs: Malthouse with a single,
and Buck with a bases-loaded walk.
But the worst inning for AC came in the fourth, when the ‘Runner
defense opened the inning with consecutive errors. Four of the next
five Bulldog hitters singled, and Texarkana finished the inning having
scored five runs – with only two of those earned. A fifth-inning run –
again by way of an AC error – gave Texarkana its final 8-2 margin.
The ‘Runners (11-10-2, 1-3) will host their first conference home game
on Wednesday in a doubleheader with Navarro. Game time from Roadrunner
Field is 12 p.m.
