Tuesday, July 16, 1996

Prairie Dogs back to winning ways

By MARK WILSON
Staff Writer

There's nothing quite like a business meeting to get things straightened out.

During a 1-2 start in the second half of play in the Texas-Louisiana League, Abilene Prairie Dogs manager Phil Stephenson wasn't seeing business conducted the same way that led the Prairie Dogs to a first-half championship. So Stephenson decided to hold a brief meeting with the team following Sunday's doubleheader split with Tyler.

The Prairie Dogs pounded out 12 hits - including two doubles and two home runs - in an 8-3 win over the Wildcatters Monday night before a crowd of 1,935 on "Pack The Park Night" at Crutcher Scott Field.

"One thing that concerned me was some lackadaisical play some some guys who shouldn't be playing that way," said Stepehnson, whose club is now tied with Tyler at 2-2 in the second half.
"Sometimes you get away from doing the things that got you where you were. Sometimes you think those things are not being noticed.

"We had a lot of success in the first half, and we need to play that way in the second half. We need to play hard every night."

Rod Brewer, Barry Jones and Paul Gonzalez had two hits each, and Jones, Gonzalez and Jason McClure drove in two runs apiece.

"Everybody did a pretty good job - hitting, pitching and defense," Jones said. "We have to have all aspects and that's what we had tonight. We didn't want to come out flat in the secon half."

Abilene starter Jared Baker (3-5) earned the win, giving up three earned runson six hits with five strikeouts and five walks in six-plus innings. Three relievers worked one frame each to close out the game.

Tyler's Steve Long (1-3), the first of three Tyler pitchers, allowed eight hits and six runs in his five innings of work.

The Prairie Dogs claimed a 3-0 lead in the first inning with consecutive singles by Manny Gagliano, Rod Brewer and Barry Jones, and a hit by Paul Gonzalez. Brewer drove in Eric Gonzalez, who had walked. Jones' hit brought in Gagliano, and Brewer scored on the Eric Gonzalez single.

Tyler made it a 3-1 game in the third as Derek Henderson's infield groundout plated Sean Collins. After drawing a walk, Collins moved to third on a wild pitch and a passed ball.

The Wildcatters pulled within 3-2 in the fifth after Collins led off with a single. He took third on Tony Rich's sacrifice bunt and a wild pitch by Baker.

Derek Henderson walked and Ken Shamburg's sharp grounder off the glove of third baseman Manny Gagliano went for a double to score Collins. Henderson and Shamburg were stranded as Baker struck out the next two batters.

Abilene upped the margin to 6-2 in the sixth, with Barry Jones sparking the action by hitting his sixth home run of the year. His blast - down the right- field line, was followed by a Paul Coleman single and a walk to Paul Gonzalez. Jason McClure doubled to the fence in right, scoring both runners and knocking Long out of the game in favor of Tommy Carter.

Tyler cut it to 6-3 in the seventh after Henderson walked and Shamburg singled, bringing on Troy Hirsch in relief of Baker. Hirsch walked Carlos Perez to load the bases, and Henderson scored on a nice double play turned by Gagliano, who stepped on third and threw to first.

Abilene added a run for a 7-3 lead in the bottom of the seventh on a bases-loaded blast to deep center field by Paul Gonzalez. The sacrifice fly scored Gagliano, who had led off the frame with a single.

Darryl Monroe hit his fifth homer of the season to left in the eighth to give Abilene its 8-3 lead.