(March 14, 2024 – Euless, TX) A big 5-run first inning appeared to be enough, and had the fast start not occurred it’s possible the Spirits (40+) squad could have left the park with a win rather than a loss. Despite a solid game overall but one that was still plagued with errors on defense, the Spirits fell to SheGone by a score of 7 to 5.
The Spirits were able to scatter 7 hits on the night against one of the best pitching rosters in all of Dallas. The team didn’t see much lower than 80 miles per hour throughout the night, with some of the SheGone pitchers topping the 90 mark.
Eric McPherson led the Spirits offense with a pair of hits and Cliff Brade doubled and scored a run, but the combination of shutdown pitching and a few errors in the field proved to be the difference. Scott Peterson, James Bolton, and Barrett Weaver each finished with a pair of hits for SheGone. Spirits pitcher, Jonathan Duran went the distance, allowing 4 earned against 11 hits, while walking and striking out 2.
After Brade doubled to start off the game, a single by McPherson moved him to third before Travis Hitzeman singled home Brade to give the Spirits a 1 to 0 lead. Shawn Lee and Mike Sopocy each struck out and SheGone starter, Richard Valle was able to get Todd Murrah to fly out to get out of the early jam.
3 errors, a pair of walks, and 3 singles led to a 5-run SheGone inning and with a 5 to 1 lead, the Spirits had a hill to climb. SheGone added another run in the fourth to make it 6 to 1 before the Spirits clawed back with a 4-run inning in the fifth to cut the lead to, 6 to 5.
Shawn Hunt singled and David Tipton was hit by a pitch to put two on with nobody out. Anthony Osburn walked to load the bags and a ground out by Stacy Scott scored Hunt. Duran lost a battle of strikes and a walk to Aaron Wilson reloaded the bags with one out. Brade reached on an error following a throwing error by Billy McDaniel at catcher which allowed Tipton to score earlier. Osburn and Wilson were able to score when Brade reached on an error by the SheGone third baseman, and the Spirits cut the lead to one run before SheGone turned to Luis Ambriz who was able to get McPherson to fly out to end the inning.
A pair of singles led to the seventh and final SheGone run in the fifth, and after the Spirits went in order and the Duran and company were able to exit the sixth safely, the Spirits were able to make a little noise in the seventh but came up a bit short. Murrah led off the final inning with a walk and after Hunt flew out, Tipton singled to put two aboard. Ambriz was able to get Osburn looking and Scott to ground out to end the game.
“Not a bad job but the guys tonight,” Lee commented afterwards. “Wish a few of us could have come up with something when opportunity knocked but sometimes the pitcher is just better than you. We still need to clean up kicking the ball around. We’ve been plagued with errors for several years at this point. I’m not sure we’re going to get any better. It’s just something we have to live with. But in cases like this, especially when you play a team this talented, those mistakes are going to hurt you and tonight they did. Credit to Duran for a great game on the hill. Had we been a little closer to flawless, this could have turned out different.”
The Spirits will return to action next Wednesday night when they host the Fighting Chihuahuas starting at 6:30PM at Texas Star on Legends Field. Fans can click here for schedule details.
Central Roofing and Restoration Players of the Game
Eric McPherson (2-3)
David Tipton (1-2, HBP, R)
Travis Hitzeman (1-3, RBI)