Frisco squanders chances in series finale

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS (APRIL 25, 2013) - The Frisco RoughRiders lost their first series since the opening weekend of the season on Thursday night, dropping by a 2-1 score to the San Antonio Missions at Nelson W. Wolff Municipal Stadium. The RoughRiders also surrendered their tie atop the Texas League with the loss and are now tied for second in the standings.

It was a great night for right-hander Carlos Pimentel. The Frisco starter continued his excellent campaign with eight strikeouts in six innings. He didn't walk a batter and surrendered just four hits. Unfortunately for Pimentel, two of those hits came in the same inning.

Leading off the home-half of the first, outfielder Reymond Fuentes smoked a double to right field, getting himself in scoring position right off the bat. Rico Noel, the next man in the order, sent a ball back up the middle to score Fuentes and give San Antonio (10-10) a 1-0 lead.

Frisco (11-9) tallied their first run in the third. Guilder Rodriguez scored on a soft line drive double to left field by Ryan Strausborger to tie the contest.

Both teams went quiet offensively until the seventh. Frisco loaded the bases against Chris Rearick on two singles and a walk with just one out in the inning. Jeremy McBride, who shut down the 'Riders rally in the ninth of Wednesday's game, came on and got Alex Buchholz to pop out and Chih-Hsien Chiang to ground out to end the inning with the score still even.

Wilmer Font worked the seventh and eighth innings in relief of Pimentel for Frisco. He got four of his six outs on strikes, but allowed one hit, and it was a big one. A.J. Kirby Jones blasted a fastball off Font to begin the Missions' eighth inning, breaking the tie to give San Antonio the 2-1 lead. The run was the first scored off of Font all year long.

The 'Riders stranded two more runners in the ninth, leaving the potential tying run in scoring position. Frisco left ten runners on base in the game, including five in the final two innings.

Font (0-1) suffered the defeat in his first decision of the season. McBryde (1-1), who faced just two batters in the game, picked up his first win, just a day after earning a save for San Antonio.

Frisco returns to Dr Pepper Ballpark on Friday, April 26 at 7 p.m. when they host Corpus Christi. Ryan Feierabend (1-1, 3.43 ERA) takes to the hill for the RoughRiders coming off his first win of the year. Carlos Quevedo (0-1, 4.91 ERA) makes his first start of the season for the Hooks.  He pitched an inning in relief against Frisco last weekend. Fans can tune in to the play-by-play broadcast on www.RidersBaseball.com beginning at 6:40. The game will also be televised on KTXD beginning at 7:00. 

For information on tickets to see the RoughRiders in 2013, please call (972) 731-9200, email [email protected] or visit www.ridersbaseball.com.