Diablos take game one against first place Grand Prairie
El Paso took the first game of the three game series at Cohen stadium Friday night against Grand Prairie 12-8. The Diablos have now won two out of their last three games.
The Diablos and the AirHogs brought their sticks out tonight as a total of 20 runs between the two of them would be put up on the board before the night was over. The scoring started in the top of the second inning when the AirHogs hit a two run home run off of Diablos starter D.J. Mattox. The Diablos would answer back immediately during the bottom half of the inning with a Jeff Vincent two RBI double to tie the game. El Paso ended the inning with the lead after a Jonathan Reynoso RBI base hit. Greg Porter would tie things up at three for the AirHogs in the top of the third with a solo blast. The Diablos didn’t flinch as El Paso’s newcomer Kyle Nichols hit the first Diablos home run of the season at Cohen stadium. Nichols bomb over the left field fence would give the Diablos a 6-3 lead. Vincent would finish the inning off with a double that brought Arnoldo Ponce home and gave El Paso a 7-3 lead after three innings.
Mattox showed resilience during the fourth as he found himself in jam with runners at the corners but managed to get out of it by only allowing one run during the inning. Mattox would finish the night with five plus innings work, 10 hits, seven earned runs, three strikeouts, only two walks and the win.
The AirHogs would continue to be a threat but never were able to catch up as they came within one run going into the seventh. The El Paso bull pen showed up in a big way as Noel Baca and P.J. Bevis would sit down the last ten Grand Prairie hitters in order. The Diablos would punch in five more runs before the night was over, putting the game away with a three run eighth inning.
After a sluggish night at the plate the night before the Diablos stepped it up. Jeff Vincent had a four RBI night after going 3 for 5 with two doubles. Hector Bernal, who came into the game for an injured Arnoldo Ponce in the fourth inning, finished the night 3 for 3 with a pair of RBIs. Nichols also had a big night finishing 2-4, with three RBIs and a home run. Grand Prairie which had a big hitting night as well got a big night from Greg Porter who went 4-5 with three RBI and a home run.
El Paso continues their series tomorrow against the AirHogs.
