Skeeters Fall to Lancaster in Opener of Four-Game Homestand, 10-7

Photo by Darla Tamulitis-La Vita Loca Photography
Copyright 2013, All Rights Reserved

SUGAR LAND, TEXAS (July 30, 2013) The normally stingy Skeeters pitching staff could not contain the Lancaster Barnstormers and their hot bats Monday night, as the visitors won 10-7. 

Sugar Land jumped ahead 1-0 on Travis Scott’s solo home run in the bottom of the first, but Lancaster scored five runs in the top of the second off Skeeters starter Greg Aquino and never trailed again. 

Not that the Skeeters didn’t make it interesting, hey fought back to within 5-4 after three innings, but the Barnstormers responded with Ryan Harvey’s grand slam in the fourth and a 9-4 advantage that turned out to be enough, as they went on to win 10-7.

Up Next: The Skeeters and Barnstormers play game two of their four-game set on Tuesday at 7:05 p.m., with LHP Gilbert De La Vara (4-1, 3.49) on the mound for Sugar Land against RHP Dwayne Pollok (11-3, 3.32) for Lancaster. Tuesday is Group Leader Appreciation Night at Constellation Field.

Skeeters Notes:

Travis Scott: 2-4, HR, 2 RBI, 3 R

Russ Mitchell: 1-4, 2B, 2 RBI

Dominic Ramos: 1-3, 2 R

Adam Miller, Jay Marshall, Roberto Giron: one scoreless, hitless inning each

Sugar Land Skeeters hold off Lancaster rally in 8-7 win

Photo by Darla Tamulitis-La Vita Loca Photography
Copyright 2013 All Rights Reserved

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2013 TexSport Publications

LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA (July 23, 2013) The Sugar Land Skeeters jumped out to an early seven run lead and held off a Lancaster rally to down the Barnstormers by the score of 8-7 in the first game of a three-game series on Monday, July 22, 2013 at Clipper Magazine Stadium in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

The Skeeters left the Houston area on Monday morning for a seven game road trip against Lancaster and the York Revolution.

The Skeeters scored five runs in the second inning with second baseman Jeff Dominguez accounting for three of the runs with his three-run homer off starting pitcher Will Savage.

Ryan Langerhans and Aaron Bates scored the other two runs in the inning.

They added two more runs in the third inning when Koby Clemens scored from first base on a Russ Mitchell double.

Mitchell then scored from second base when Dominic Ramos got on base due to an error by Barnstormer third baseman Jason Taylor.

The Barnstormers came back with four runs in the third inning, a single run in the seventh and two runs in the ninth to close out their scoring

Skeeters’ starting pitcher Scott Elarton received the win and raised his record to 6-6 of the season.

Greg Majewski, pitching a single inning of relief, got the safe.

With the home run, Dominguez has reached base safely in 20 straight games and now has three home runs for the season.

In their second game of the three game series on Tuesday, July 23, 2013, the Skeeters will send right handed pitcher Clint Evers to the mount.

The Barnstormers will counter with lefty Derrick Loop.

Evers has a 2-2 record with a ERA of 2.25.

Loop posts a 1-4 record with a 4.81 ERA.

Game time is set for 6:05 p.m. EDT.

TexSport Publications names Texas Class A All State baseball team

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2013 TexSport Publications

DEER PARK-PASADENA, TEXAS (July 22, 2013) TexSport Publications has announced its Class A All State Baseball Team for 2013 along with the Class A Player of the Year and Coach of the Year.

The selection was made by the staff of TexSport Publications and based on athlete and team performances throughout the year.

The Player of the Year was Price Carlisle High School’s Gunner Baker.

The 6-3, 190 pound pitcher and outfielder was 14-0 with a 0.23 earned run average. He had 177 strikeouts in 88.1 innings. He pitched three no-hitters and .446 with 59 RBI.

He has signed to play college baseball for Hill College in Hillsboro, Texas.

Price Carlisle head coach Wesley Colley was named the Class A Coach of the Year.

The first team selections include:

Pitcher: Kyle Barnett-Stamford
Pitcher: Gunner Baker-Price Carlisle
Pitcher: Jacob Stroder-Frost
Catcher: Dawson Ried-Archer City
First Base: Caleb Vaught-Sundown
Second Base: Steven Crump-Harlton
Third Base: Brett Rohde-Fayetteville
Shortstop: Tanner Richey-Borden County
Outfielder: Josh Velasquez-Flatonia
Outfielder: Tyler Pate-Port Aransas
Outfielder: Steven Howard-Borden Country
Designated Hitter: Hagen Hutchinson-Stamford


The second team selections include:


Pitcher: Lane Hobbs-Thrall
Pitcher: Kellen Green-Windtrost
Pitcher: Slater Stone-Trenton
Catcher: Dylan McCarley-Trenton
First Base: Wyatt Beezley-Trenton
Second Base: Hunter Clark-Chino
Third Base: Chantz Holland-Cayuga
Shortstop: Kyle Barnett-Stamford
Outfielder: Dalton Tullos-Chino
Outfielder: Nick Maxham-Port Aransas
Outfielder: Louis Lachney-Dawson
Designated Hitter: Kellen Green-Windthorst

Jason Lane signs with San Diego Padres organization

Photo by Darla Tamulitis-La Vita Loca Photography

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2013 TexSport Publications

SUGAR LAND, TEXAS (July 22, 2013) The Sugar Land Skeeters announced, via a press release on Sunday, July 21, 2013, that 2012 team MVP Jason Lane had signed a contract with the San Diego Padres and will be assignment to their Triple A affiliate in Tucson.

The former Houston Astros first baseman posted an 8-3 record as a pitcher for the Skeeters, with a 2.80 ERA in 16 starts.

In addition to his time on the mound, he played 30 games as a designated hitter and outfielder, posting a .167 batting average in 42 at bats.

Lane, has played 13 seasons of minor league baseball, posting a 19-8 record in 66 appearances, with a 3.47 ERA as a pitcher.

At the plate, he holds a ,275 batting average with 152 home runs and 655 RBI.

In his professional career, he played in the majors for six seasons with Houston and San Diego.

He accounted for 61 home runs, with 189 RBI and a .241 batting average in his six major league seasons.

During his minor leaguer career, in addition to the Skeeters, he played for the Cranton/Wilkes-Barre 
RailRiders, Las Vegas 51s, Southern Maryland Bluecrabs, and the Reno Aces.

Sugar Land Skeeters notch 60th win of season with 4-1 win over Bridgeport Bluefish

Jeff Dominguez has reached base in 19 straight games.
Photo by Darla Tamulitis-La Vita Loca Photography
Copyright 2013 All Rights Reserved

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2013 TexSport Publications

SUGAR LAND, TEXAS (July 22, 2013) The Sugar Land Skeeters came back with three runs in the seventh inning to take the lead, and the eventual win by the score of 4-1 over the Bridgeport Bluefish in front of 4,482 fans at Constellation Field in the Houston suburb of Sugar Land on Sunday evening, July 21, 2013.

The Skeeters got on the scoreboard in the second inning on a RBI single by second baseman Jeff Dominguez.

He connected on a 3-2 pitch to send the ball to right field; out of the reach of Bluefish outfielder Prentice Redman.

The single scored first baseman Eduardo Perez from second base.

The Bluefish evened the score in the fifth inning when left fielder Adam Krum sent the ball to deep left field for a sacrifice fly, to score Iggy Suarez from second.

The seventh inning was especially productive for the Sweeter; tallying three hits on a comedy of errors by the Bluefish and particularly relief pitcher Emiliano Fruto.

Adam Godwin got on base with a double up the middle; then proceeded to steal third base on a wild pitch by Fruto.

Two pitches later, while facing Reid Gorecki, Fruto threw another wild pitch past catcher Yusuf Carter, which allowed Godwin to steal home and give the Skeeters the go-ahead run.

Eduardo Perez connected one 1-1 pitch, to stretch a single to second base.

Sunday's game was Youth Football Night at Constellation Field
Photo by Darla Tamulitis-La Vita Loca Photography
Copyright 2013 All Rights Reserved

The solid hit scored Gorecki from third and Bates from second to give the Skeeters a 4-1 lead.

Fruto, who got the loss, pitched .1 of an inning and gave up three runs on one hit, while walking two and striking out a single batter. His ERA dropped to 3.77.

Roy Corcoran, pitching one inning of relief, got the win to raise his season record to 6-1.

Gary Majewski closed out the game for the Skeeters and got his eighth safe.

For the Skeeters, Godwin went 3-for-5 with one run while Bates went 1-for-2 with one run.

Freedom Over Texas Festival to feature Sheryl Crow, Martina McBride

Martina McBride will perform at 7:00 p.m. on the Freedom Stage.
Photo Courtesy of Freedom Over Texas and the Artist

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2013 TexSport Publications

HOUSTON, TEXAS (July 4, 2013) Sheryl Crow and Martina McBride will be the headline performers at Houston’s Freedom Over Texas Fourth of July Celebration on Thursday, July 4, 2013.

Both Crow and McBride will perform on the Freedom Stage, which will be in Eleanor Tinsley Park, along Allen Parkway Drive.

McBride, the 4-Time CMA Vocalist of the Year will take to the stage at 7:00 p.m.

She will be followed by Crow at 8:15 p.m. 

Crow is a 9-Time Grammy Award Winner.

In addition, the Earnest Walker Band will be opening for McBride and Crow, taking the stage at 4:30 p.m.

Sheryl Crow will perform at 7:00 p.m.
on the Freedom Stage.
Photo Courtesy of Freedom Over Texas
and the Artist

On the Patriot Stage, which will be located further west on Allen Parkway will feature Brian Jack and the Zydeco Gamblers at 4:15 p.m., Marcie Chapa Project at 6:15 p.m. and Emily Bell at 8:15 p.m.

The Marcie Chapa Project will perform pop and Latin styling while Emily Bell is an alternative music performer.

On the KBR Liberty Stage, which will be east of the Freedom Stage, will be the Texas blues and funk performer Hamilton Loomis at 4:00 p.m.

He will be followed at 6:15 p.m. by southern rock specialist American Swindle and at 7:456 p.m. by Soul Track Mind.

Fireworks will follow all the performances at 9:35 p.m.

Gates will open at 4:00 p.m. with on-site ticket sales available