WhiteWings tie Roadrunners for fourth

EDINBURG — The Edinburg Roadrunners fell short after tying things the game in the seventh inning, losing 10-6 to the Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings Thursday night at Edinburg Baseball Stadium. With the loss, the Roadrunners and the WhiteWings are tied for fourth in the ULB standings.

In the first inning, Brian Nichols singled to right field, driving in Denys Lantigua to score the first run of the game for the WhiteWings. The Roadrunners responded in the bottom of the first with a run of their own, starting with a double to right center by newcomer Wilmer Pino to lead off the inning off. Pino advanced to third base on a groundout by Robert Matlock and Bryon Smith hit a ground ball to the shortstop that allowed Pino to touch home plate and tie the game.

The WhiteWings regained the lead in the top of the second when Sandy De Leon scored on a throwing error by the Roadrunners shortstop. Lantigua then followed with an RBI single to right field that allowed Agustin Septimo to score from second to make it a 3-1 game in favor of RGV.

In the top of the third inning, Joaquin Rodriguez hit a two-run home run that extended the WhiteWings lead while former Roadrunner Angel Reyes stole home in the top of the fifth inning to give RGV the 6-1 edge.

Edinburg’s Hunter Owen reached on an error in the bottom of the fifth inning then moved to second on a wild pitch, followed by Pino with an RBI single to center that scored Owen from second. Matlock followed with a double of his own that scored Pino from second base to make it 6-3.

Osiel Flores led off the bottom of the seventh inning with a walk, moved to second on a single by Owen and both runners moved up a base on a wild pitch by Ryan Dixon. Pino then hit a two-run double down the right field line that scored Flores and Owen. After moving to third on a ground out, Pino came in to score on a wild pitch to tie the game at six.

RGV regained the lead in the top of the eighth inning on a two-run single by Welinson Baez that made it an 8-6 game.

In the top of the ninth, the WhiteWings scored two insurance runs against Bryan Heaston to end the inning with a 10-6 edge. Julio Santana pitched two scoreless innings for his 11th save of the season.