MIDLAND, Texas -- The Bobby Bragan Texas League Championship Trophy will reside in the Tall City for a third straight year.
After waiting through a 3 hour, 3 minute weather delay, the Midland RockHounds rode a combined three-hitter to win Game 4 of the Texas League Championship Series with a 4-1 win over visiting Northwest Arkansas early Saturday morning at Security Bank Ballpark.
ROCKHOUNDS 4, NATURALS 1
NW Arkansas ab r h bi Midland ab r h bi
Toups 2b 4 0 1 0 Vertigan cf 5 1 1 1
Escalera cf 4 0 0 0 Schrock 2b 4 0 2 1
Ramos 3b 3 0 0 0 Marincov rf 4 1 2 1
O’Hearn lf 4 1 1 0 Taylor c 2 0 0 0
Schwindel 1b 2 0 0 0 Munoz 3b 4 0 2 0
Duenez dh 2 0 0 0 Rosa 1b 3 1 1 1
Gallagher c 3 0 1 0 Paz dh 4 0 1 0
Arteaga ss 3 0 0 0 Sportman lf 4 0 0 0
Moon rf 3 0 0 0 Martin ss 3 1 2 0
Totals 28 1 3 0 Totals 33 4 11 4
NW Arkansas 000 000 100 —1
Midland 030 010 00x —4
DP – Northwest Arkansas 1, Midland 1. LOB – Northwest Arkansas 4, Midland 9. 2B – Martin (1), Vertigan (2). HR – Rosa (2), Marincov (1).
IP H R ER BB SO
NW Arkansas
Sparkman L, 0-1 2.0 6 3 3 1 3
Hill 2.2 2 1 1 1 1
Beal 1.1 1 0 0 1 3
Stout 0.2 1 0 0 0 2
Peterson 1.1 1 0 0 1 1
Midland
Naile W, 1-0 6.0 2 0 0 2 4
Finnegan 0.0 1 1 1 2 0
Cochran-Gill 2.0 0 0 0 0 2
Sanchez S, 3 1.0 0 0 0 0 2
Finnegan pitched to 3 batters in the 7th.
WP – Sparkman. PB – Gallagher.
T – 2:35 (3:03 delay). A – 3,301.
With their 3-1 series win, the RockHounds became the first Texas League franchise since the Fort Worth Panthers (1920-25) to win three consecutive championships.
In the top of the ninth inning, RockHounds closer Jake Sanchez struck out Northwest Arkansas' Frank Schwindel swinging to deliver Midland its sixth Texas League title.
"I know there was history," RockHounds manager Ryan Christenson said. "That part hasn't really sunk in yet. I just know everybody is exhausted. Everybody left it all out there all year. We had 49 guys come through this team throughout the season. We were watching a lot of them in the big leagues right now so we're proud of that. The young guys that came up from (high Single-A) Stockton, they all contributed. They did a big part. It was just a great organizational win for us this year."
Midland starting pitcher James Naile, who spent most of the season in the low minors this year, spun a gem by hurling six scoreless innings of two-hit ball. Naile struck out four and walked only two.
Naile didn't allow a hit until fifth inning when Naturals catcher Cam Gallagher singled with two outs, which ended a run of 10 consecutive batters retired.
The RockHounds took control of the game in the second as they erupted for three runs on five hits.
Viosergy Rosa led off the frame by cracking a solo home run to right field. Later in the inning, Richie Martin hit a two-out double to right-center that Naturals center fielder Alfredo Escalera couldn't secure in the air despite making a valiant effort to run it down.
Midland capitalized on Martin's two-bagger as left-handed batter Brett Vertigan drove him home with a RBI double down the left-field line. One batter later, RockHounds second baseman Max Schrock plated Vertigan with a run-scoring single to center, capping the three-run stanza.
Midland extended its lead to 4-0 in the fifth when Tyler Marincov socked a solo home run into the bullpen in right field.
The Naturals' most promising run scoring opportunity occurred in the top of the seventh, as it loaded the bases with no outs against Midland reliever Kyle Finnegan.
Christenson called upon Trey-Cochran Gill out of the bullpen to put out the fire, and the 5-foot-10 right-hander induced Gallagher to ground out into a 6-4-3 double play, which scored O'Hearn.
Cochran-Gill limited the damage to one run after Humberto Arteaga flied out to center to end the frame.
Sports on 09/18/2016