'Pen Pristine against Missions

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS (MAY 16, 2014) - The Frisco RoughRiders' relief staff turned in one of their finest performances of the season in 4-1 win against the San Antonio Missions on Friday night at Wolff Stadium.

After the RoughRiders' bullpen coughed up four save opportunities over a two-game span, lefty Jimmy Reyes and righty Phil Klein shut out the Missions over the final four innings to lock up their team's 26th win of the season.

Klein pitched the final two frames and earned his third save of the season. The 6-foot-7 hurler retired all six men he faced and tossed a pair of strikeouts.

Reyes preceded Klein on the mound and also threw two scoreless innings and allowed one base hit over seven batters faced with one strikeout.

Both men secured the win for 'Riders starter, Jerad Eickhoff (3-2), who allowed ten baserunners (four hits, five walks, one hit batsman) but one run over five innings on the mound. He threw 93 pitches and 52 for strikes.

Josh Geer (1-5) lost to the RoughRiders for the second time this season after he surrendered two runs on ten hits with two walks and three strikeouts.

With the win, Frisco (26-15) defeats San Antonio for the second time at Wolff Stadium and leads the season series 5-4.

San Antonio (17-24) drops its third straight game and sees its home record fall to 7-11.  

Against the veteran Geer, Frisco found ways to place runners on base, but struggled to score early.

The 'Riders tallied five hits through the first two innings, but scored one run when Ryan Rua scored on a double play ball from Jake Skole.

San Antonio bided its time and evened the score in the third when Jason Hagerty singled home Adam Buschini from second base.

The Missions looked to strike against Eickhoff one inning later when Yeison Asencio greeted the RoughRiders' starter with a leadoff triple. 

With Brian Bixler at the dish two batters later with one out, San Antonio skipper Rich Dauer signaled for the suicide squeeze. Bixler could not make contact and catcher Tomás Telis tagged Asencio as he darted home.

The bases now clear, Eickhoff finished off Bixler with a ground ball out to end the inning.

Frisco ensured the Indianan stood in line for the win after Odubel Herrera ripped his first Double-A triple of the season. Rua scored for the second time in the game and the 'Riders took a 2-1 lead.

The RoughRiders capitalized on two Missions' errors in the seventh to double their edge late in the game.

Third baseman Bridger Hunt committed two throwing errors which lead to a pair of unearned runs for the 'Riders.

Hunt's first miscue allowed Guilder Rodriguez to take third base, and Telis hit G-Rod home to put Frisco up a deuce.

After Hunt's sixth error of the season allowed Trever Adams to reach, Rua went to the opposite field for the second time in the game and brought home Jake Smolinski.

Reyes entered to pitch his two scoreless innings in relief of Eickhoff, and manager Jason Wood tasked Klein, the tallest man on the team, with saving the game and the bullpen's reputation.

The RoughRiders and Missions reconvene for the second game in their series on Saturday at 7:05. Coverage begins at 6:40 p.m. on www.ridersbaseball.com with the Frisco RoughRiders Pregame Show.

The 'Riders return to Dr Pepper Ballpark on Wednesday, May 21 to begin a three-game series with the Tulsa Drillers. For tickets to see the 'Riders in 2014, call 972-731-9200, e-mail [email protected] or visit www.ridersbaseball.com.