Thursday, July 17, 1997

Dogs hang on for wild victory over Dillas

AMARILLO - The Abilene Prairie Dogs saw a big lead slip away, but quickly regained the advantage and then held on for a wild 12-8 victory Wednesday over the Amarillo Dillas.

The Prairie Dogs pounded out 19 hits in improving their second-half record in the Texas-Louisiana League standings to 3-4, while first-half champion Amarillo fell to 2-5.

Abilene jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first two innings and extended its lead to 7-1 on Efrain Contreras' two-run homer in the top of the fifth.

Starting Abilene pitcher Barry Takahashi sailed through the first four innings, but the Dillas struck for six runs in the bottom of the fifth off Takahashi to tie the game, 7-7.

Louis Maberry, who finally got the Dogs out of the jam in the fifth, pitched a scoreless sixth, too, to pick up the victory in relief.

The Prairie Dogs countered quickly, striking for three runs in the top of the sixth to regain the lead, 10-7. Jason Keith led off the inning with a triple, and Darryl Monroe followed with a two-run homer. Jason McClure and Contreras followed with singles, and McClure eventually scored on a wild pitch.

Scott Bethea drove in Keith with a run-scoring triple in the seventh inning to stretch the Dogs' lead to 11-7.

Former Prairie Dog Rod Brewer, the league MVP a year ago, led off the bottom of the seventh with a solo homer for Amarillo. The Dillas then loaded the bases with a walk, a bloop single and an error, but reliever Troy Dean Conkle sandwiched three strikeouts around the baserunners to escape the jam without any further damage.

Conkle also struck out two in the eighth inning before giving way to George Preston Jr. with two on and two out in the bottom of the eighth.

Preston got the final out of the eighth and then retired the side in order in the ninth, thanks to a double play, to record his eighth save of the season.

The Dogs added an insurance run in the eighth when Shawn Hughes' RBI double scored Jay Andrews.

Bethea had a single, double and triple, while McClure continued his red-hot hitting with a 3-for-4 performance to pace the Dogs' 19-hit attack.