Pump Jacks' season ends

HE'S SAFE — East Texas pitcher Mark Haynes (left0, 30) awaits the ball at first base as Coppell's Adam De la Garza tags the base before the catch. The Pump Jacks fell behind early and couldn't recover, dropping Monday night's playoff game at Driller Park, 4-1. That loss ended the Pump Jacks' 2009 season. The East Texas Pump Jacks ran into the hottest team in the Texas Collegiate League at the worst possible time.

Coppell, who for weeks was on the outside looking in, as far as the TCL's postseason was concerned, rallied in the final two weeks of the regular season to make the playoffs, and kept that roll going when the playoffs began. The Copperheads swept East Texas, taking a game one win Sunday night, then finishing the best-of-three-game series with a 4-1 win here at Driller Park on Monday.

The loss ends the season for the Pump Jacks, the second season in franchise history. Coppell goes on to this weekend's TCL championship series against top-seeded Victoria. The Pump Jacks players will begin leaving now, many of them headed home and then on to their respective colleges.

Coppell is becoming a bit of an arch-enemy of East Texas — the Copperheads also beat the Pump Jacks to end their 2008 campaign.

East Texas fell behind early in Monday's game, and the one run the Pump Jacks did plate didn't come until the bottom of the ninth. That's because Coppell's Rett Varner, named the TCL pitcher of the year earlier in the day, was on the money. Varner allowed just two hits in the first seven innings, striking out 10 in the process.

The Copperheads scored two runs in the second inning, then added a run in both the fifth and the seventh.

After a 15-minute rain delay in the first inning, Coppell came to life. With an out, Zac Russell singled, then Jeff Emens earned a walk off of East Texas starting pitcher Mark Haynes. Marcellous Biggins followed up the walk with an RBI single that scored Russell, and Emens, the Copperheads' hero the night before, scored on a fielder's choice by former East Texas Pump Jack Adam De La Garza.

In the top of the fifth inning, Preston Springer had an RBI single, and did so again in the top of the seventh.

Trailing 4-0 in the bottom of the ninth, Matt Juengel — named the league's freshman of the year on Monday, as well — walked, then made it to second on a wild pitch. He went to third on a passed ball, and scored on a groundout hit hy Abel Gonzales. But the Copperheads recorded the final two outs with no other threat, and ended the Pump Jacks' season.

Gonzales and Greg Fontenot had the only two hits of the game for the Pump Jacks. Haynes took the loss, giving up three runs, six hits and walking three over 4 2/3 innings. Varner got the win for Coppell.

East Texas finished the season with a 26-21-1 record.

Juengel, a freshman at Panola College, wasn't the only Pump Jack on the All-Texas Collegiate League team. Outfielder Russell LaFleur, Fontenot, catcher Brett Nicholas and pitcher David Rollins were all named to the team as well. Juengel batted .326 on the season for the Pump Jacks. Nicholas led the league with 32 RBI. LaFleur was the leadoff hitter for the Pump Jacks and batted .276 on the year. Fontenot batted .261. Rollins had five wins for the Pump Jacks, which led their pitching staff, and had 63 strikeouts.

As mentioned, Coppell's Varner was the league's pitcher of the year, and Victoria's Mark Hudson, an outfielder, was named the most valuable player. Victoria coach Chris Clemons was tabbed coach of the year.

• Coppell 7, East Texas 6 (Sunday night): Had things gone differently for the Pump Jacks on Sunday night in the first game of this series, it might be Coppell going home right now, or at least on the ropes.

East Texas out-hit Coppell Sunday, picking up 10 knocks to the Copperheads' nine. But in the bottom of the eighth, Coppell got arguably its biggest hit of the night, a triple by Emens that scored his teammate, Biggins, and tied the Pump Jacks at 6-6.. Left fielder Matt Curry then stepped to the plate and hit a fly ball that was deep enough to bring Emens home and break the tie, giving Coppell the 7-6 lead.

In the top of the ninth, Brett Nicholas gave the Pump Jacks a chance. Nicholas led off with a single through the right side of the infield, but the Copperheads switched pitchers, and Jason Stover came to the mound. He got Juengel to pop up and out to first on a bunt attempt, then got Gonzales to strike out swinging. Nicholas advanced to second on a wild pitch, and Mike Petello drew a walk. But Stover struck out Kevin Hussey to end the game.

All total at the plate for East Texas, Nicholas went 3-for-4 with the RBI; Lafleur had just the one hit, but 3 RBI; and Fontenot, Juengel, Gonzales, Petello, Hussey and Oesterle each had a hit.