Grand Prairie issues three-game sweep to visiting Pensacola
Robert Perry’s RBI double in the bottom of the ninth inning lifted the Grand Prairie AirHogs to a 4-3 victory over the Pensacola Pelicans Sunday in front of 2,836 fans at QuikTrip Park. Perry’s double scored Aaron Garza, who hit the game-tying RBI double moments earlier.
The victory gave the AirHogs a season-opening three-game sweep of the Pelicans. Two of the victories were recorded in the AirHogs’ last at-bat, including a walk-off win in the 13th inning in the season opener.
Pensacola broke a 2-2 tie in the top of the ninth on Francisco Leandro’s RBI single but in the bottom of the ninth, Grand Prairie’s Juan Camacho led with a single. Camacho raced all the way to third when the ball skipped past Pensacola left fielder Joey Side.
Garza hit a hard ground ball down the line past third baseman John Alonso and turned it into a hustling double. Garza just beat the throw into second, setting the stage for Perry’s game-winning hit. Perry hit an 0-1 offering from Pensacola’s Ron Hill off the right field wall.
Grand Prairie’s Edgar Estanga earned the win in relief despite giving up the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth. AirHogs starter Matt Green pitched a strong five innings allowing two unearned runs and striking out four. Pensacola starter Aaron Jackson was just as strong in his six-inning stint – allowing just two hits and two runs.
The Pelicans scored two runs in the first on a pair of Grand Prairie errors, but RBI ground outs by Ben Petralli in the second and Camacho in the third tied the game at 2-2.
Grand Prairie opens a three-game series against the Sioux City Explorers on Monday at 7:05 p.m. at QuikTrip Park.
Tickets are on-sale now and can be purchased in-person at the QuikTrip Park Box Office, located at 1600 Lone Star Parkway, Grand Prairie, TX 75050, by calling 972.504.9383 or visiting www.airhogsbaseball.com.
