Arnoldo Ponce's 10th-inning RBI single lifted El Paso to an 8-7 victory over the Cats on Saturday night in El Paso.
In the 10th inning, Mike Provencher led off with a walk. The next two batters were retired before Kennard Bibbs walked and Ponce singled up the middle, scoring Provencher for the Diablos' second straight win to start the series.
El Paso took a the first lead of the game in the third inning as the first five batters reached against Cats' starter Matt Gibbs. Mike Provencher led off the inning with a walk, Eddy Rodriguez doubled before Hector Bernal singled home the Diablos first run. They added two more in the inning as runs scored on an error and a double play.
The Cats immediately rallied, however in the top of the fourth. Cameron Blair led off the frame with a single before Ryan Patterson hit a two-run homer to left, his sixth on the year to put the Cats on the scoreboard. Later in the inning, Pat O'Sullivan reached on an error and came home to score on Kelley Gulledge two-run home run, his fourth of the season.
That lead stood until the sixth inning when Gerardo Verastegui blooped a two-run single to left, giving El Paso a 5-4 lead that held up until the Cats' ninth-inning rally.
In the ninth, Isa Garcia connected with a leadoff single and one out later stole second base and scored on an RBI single by Brian Fryer to tie the game. They took the lead when Fryer broke for the plate on a Ryan Patterson chopper to short, but the shortstop's throw to plate was late and Fryer scored. They added another run in the inning as Allen singled for a 7-5 Cats lead.
Cats' closer Dustin Cameron came on to try to close it out in the ninth, but permitted the first two batters to reach on a walk and a single. After Ponce struck out trying to bunt, Jorge Alvarez brought home a run with an RBI single and then the tying run scored on a sacrifice fly by Tyler Johnson to knot the game 7-7.
Anthony Pluta, who gave up the lead in the ninth, pitched a scoreless 10th and earned his first win of the season. Cameron (1-1) suffered his first loss of the season as he permitted three runs on three hits and four walks in 1 2/3 innings of work.
The series concludes on Sunday night at 7:05 p.m. CDT with Ryan Riddle on the hill for Fort Worth.
