Rain forces Pump Jacks and Victoria to a 4-4 tie

By MITCH LUCAS sports@kilgorenewsherald.com For the East Texas Pump Jacks on Tuesday night, there was no winning pitcher, no losing pitcher, either, and not a lot of satisfaction. Rain and thunderstorms, which forced a rescheduling of Monday's game, returned to Driller Park on Tuesday, causing the first game of a doubleheader against Victoria to be halted in extra innings, and outright canceling the second game. As a result, the Pump Jacks (18-13-1) recorded the first-ever tie in franchise history, but didn't get any closer to Victoria (21-12-1), whose Generals remain two games in front of East Texas in the Texas Collegiate League standings. When Monday's game was postponed until Tuesday due to the rain, both franchises agreed to play two seven-inning games Tuesday, at an earlier start. The first game went to extra innings, a 4-4 tie after seven. The Generals actually had a huge inning in the top of the eight, netting six runs and taking a 10-4 lead. But the game was halted due to lightning and heavy rain in the middle of the eighth, right around 7:45 p.m., and the Pump Jacks didn't get to bat in the bottom of the eighth. By TCL rules, since East Texas didn't get its eighth-inning at bat, the game reverts to the score at the bottom of the seventh, which was the 4-all tie. For the Pump Jacks at the plate in the contest, third baseman Kyle Frasard, a recent signee from Texas Wesleyan, went 2-for-4. Second baseman Greg Fontenot went 2-for-3 with an RBI. Shortstop Ryan Oesterle went 1-for-4, but had 2 RBI. Designated hitter Ben Woodchick had a hit, as did center fielder Russell LaFleur, right fielder Mike Petello, left fielder Kevin Hussey, and first baseman Abel Gonzales. Brian Nephew of Victoria had a 3-RBI triple in the eighth that wound up not affecting the outcome because of the storm. David Rollins started the game on the mound and went five innings. He gave up four runs, only one of them earned, on five hits. He walked three and struck out five, hurling 80 pitches in the process. Ian Schwalenberg of the University of Maryland pitched two innings for the Pump Jacks. He allowed no runs, no hits, walked two and struck out one. For Victoria, Blake Ford went six innings. He allowed four runs, all earned, on eight hits, struck out four and walked two. Michael Oros came on in relief, and pitched an inning. He allowed one hit and struck out two. The Pump Jacks are off tonight, and will be back in action on Thursday and Friday at Driller Park, hosting the Coppell Copperheads. That should include Kilgore's own Jaron Shepherd, the former KHS and Navarro standout on his way to Mississippi State University, as well as a former Pump Jack, Adam De La Garza. Both games are scheduled for 7:05 p.m. starts at Driller, with Friday's game followed by a fireworks show, the final one of the season.