EDINBURG, TEXAS ---- The Edinburg Roadrunners took game one of the best-of-three series with a 6-2 victory over the Amarillo Dillas Tuesday night at Edinburg Baseball Stadium.
Jose Pablo Oyervidez (1-0) allowed two runs, none earned, while scattering seven hits in seven innings of work.
The Dillas (0-1) took the early lead in the top of the second inning with a bases loaded sacrifice fly from Willie James that allowed Andrew Wong to score the first run of the inning. Keanon Simon followed with an RBI fielder’s choice allowing Eric Brown to score giving Amarillo the 2-0 lead.
The Roadrunners (1-0) did not score against Amarillo starting pitcher Richard Jessup (0-1) until the bottom of the sixth, after a couple of errors from his defense. After two outs, Eric Gonzalez singled to left field then moved to second on a Hunter Owen single. A snap throw from Dillas catcher Brian Bueno sailed into right field that allowed Gonzalez and Owen to move up an extra base putting runners at second and third. Carlos Hereaud then hit a grounder to third but a throwing error allowed Gonzalez to score cutting the Amarillo lead to 2-1.
Bryon Smith led off the bottom of the seventh with a single and then moved to second on a throwing error and then over to third on a sacrifice bunt by Osiel Flores. After Nick Aranda came in to pinch run for Wilmer Pino, Vincent Blue hit an RBI single to right field that allowed Smith to score tying things at two. Hectory Garanzuay drew a walk to load the bases for Gonzalez who then hit a two-run single to left field that drove in Aranda and Blue from second and third. A wild pitch from Amarillo reliever Albert Ayala allowed Garanzuay to score making it a 5-2 game in favor of the Roadrunners.
Edinburg scored an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth on a sacrifice fly from Flores that allowed Robert Matlock to score from third extending their lead to 6-2.
Bryan Heaston inherited the bases loaded with no outs in the top of the ninth and did not allow a run to score for his first save of the postseason giving Edinburg the 6-2 victory.
The Roadrunners and Dillas will play game two of this best-of-three series Wednesday night at Edinburg Baseball Stadium. Tim Haines is expected to face Ralph Roberts with the first pitch scheduled for 7:05 p.m.
