Drew Holder scored from third on a wild pitch in the ninth inning as the AirHogs defeated the Cats 6-5 Monday night in Grand Prairie. The win was the AirHogs’ third straight as they snapped the Cats’ four-game winning streak.
The Cats had tied the game in the top of the ninth inning with a two-out rally. With runners at first and third, Ryan Patterson hit a ball to the alley in left center that scored Brian Fryer to tie the game. Isa Garcia, trying to score all the way from first was thrown out at the plate trying to score the go-ahead run.
In the bottom of the ninth, reliever Eric Domangue came on to pitch for the Cats and gave up a leadoff single to Drew Holder. Holder advanced to second on a wild pitch and went to third as Noel Trevino grouned back to the mound. After Aaron Garza was hit by a pitch, Domangue sailed a pitch wide of the plate and back to the backstop, allowing Holder to scamper home from third with the winning run.
Earlier, the Cats jumped out to a 3-0 in the fourth inning on a two-run double by Charles Carter and an RBI single by Adam Miller. After Grand Prairie scored a run in the fourth, the Cats answered with an RBI double by John Allen for a 4-1 advantage.
But the AirHogs would rally in the bottom of the fifth to take the lead. After two walks and an error loaded the bases, David Espinosa hit a two-run single to left. After the throw to the plate got past the catcher, the runner from first base was awarded home plate because of interference on third baseman Michael Bell.
Espinosa later came in on a sacrifice fly by Derek Nicholson for a 5-4 Grand Prairie lead which would stand until the ninth.
James Morrison (2-0) gave up the game-tying run in the ninth, but picked up his second win of the season. Domangue (0-1) suffered the loss after allowing a run in one-third of an inning of work. Cats’ starter Lee Gwaltney lasted five innings and allowed five runs, three earned on seven hits and got no decision.
