Alex Fuselier was back in his home state, and the comfort level showed.
Fuselier, batting cleanup for the East Texas Pump Jacks, provided his best impression of a slugger with two home runs and five RBI, Zac Fisher had four hits and scored four times, and Brad Kottman again pitched well as East Texas blasted the Alexandria Aces 15-3.
After struggling on offense early in the second half, this kind of game was just what the Pump Jacks needed.
Fuselier led off the second inning with a single. He advanced to second base on Brandon Wood’s walk before the two executed a double steal. With runners at second and third, Joey Latulippe, who entered the game with just two RBI in 2010, lined a single up the middle to score both and give the Jacks a 2-0 lead.
The lefty Kottman, making his fourth start of the season, allowed his first hit at the beginning of the second to Clint Ourso. Ourso, however, wasn’t on the basepaths long as Kottman pulled out his wicked pick-off move to erase the runner. The out became more important when the next man up, Matt Holsman, hit a solo home run over the left field fence.
The 2-1 score was as close as the Aces would get the rest of the way.
Matt Carvutto singled and Fisher banged one off the top of the right-field wall for a third-inning double. Fuselier drove in Carvutto with a single and moved to second base with Fisher stopping at third. Bryan Peters’ groundout scored Fisher, and Fuselier crossed the plate on Wood’s sacrifice fly for a 5-1 lead.
The bats cooled off in the fourth inning with just a Lee Orr double and no runs.
Fisher led off the fifth inning with a double over the center fielder’s head, and Fuselier launched a shot to right-center field that cleared the fence for his first homer of the season. Two outs later Michael Haynes joined the party with a double. He came around to score on Latulippe’s grounder under the third baseman’s glove.
In case there was any doubt how the game would end, the Pump Jack offense erased it in the sixth frame.
Carvutto, Fisher and Fuselier all singled to open the inning. Fisher’s base knock scored Blake Brown, who ran for Carvutto. It was Fisher’s TCL-leading 21st RBI of the season. Peters walked and Wood grounded into a fielder’s choice to plate Fisher. The inning continued with an RBI single from Haynes and Latulippe’s third and fourth runs batted in of the night on a double down the left field line for a 13-1 lead.
Fusilier, apparently, wasn’t satisfied. With one away and Fisher on first base in the seventh inning, Fuselier again connected over the right-field fence to make it 15-1.
Fuselier finished the night 5-for-5 with five runs, five RBI and the two homers. Fisher was 4-for-5 with two doubles and four runs, Haynes scored twice and Latulippe drove in four.
While the offense was putting up runs, Kottman was cruising. The TCL ERA leader had three perfect innings in his six frames and struck out seven. He allowed just four hits and walked one. John Walter pitched the seventh and eighth innings, allowing one score in each, before Garrett Methvin K’d two in a perfect ninth.
The Pump Jacks kick off the week on Sunday against the Texas Tomcats with Longview News-Journal Night. The first 100 fans through the gates will receive a free color-changing cup, courtesy of the Longview News-Journal. Fans can also enjoy a special family discount for the game: four grandstand tickets for just $10 (saving as much as $10), or four tickets and four meals for only $25. Fans can visit theGOspot.com for their money-saving coupon.
The games originally scheduled for Monday and Tuesday in McKinney have been relocated to historic Driller Park for a Tuesday doubleheader. Wednesday’s scheduled contest in McKinney against the North Texas Copperheads has been cancelled because of the same facility scheduling conflicts.
Tuesday is a very special night at historic Driller Park: a night free to the public. The Pump Jacks do request that fans make a donation for the tickets, as all of the ticket proceeds will be donated to the Boys & Girls Club. The donation can be as small as a penny for a grandstand ticket, and just $2 will be rewarded with a seat in the boxes, up close to the action! The evening is supported by the Kilgore News Herald.
After a day off on Thursday, the Jacks return home for a single game – and a singularly fantastic promotion: Fireworks Friday, presented by KLTV News. Once again, the Pump Jacks will light up the night sky with an incredible fireworks display, set to a new soundtrack. This is the fourth of five fireworks shows this summer, so if you haven’t seen one yet, time is running out!
Pump Jacks Nation is now on Facebook! Visit the East Texas Pump Jacks official team page on Facebook to follow all the news and gossip about the Pump Jacks, post your thoughts on the Jacks 2010 season, upload photos, and interact with other fans. Plus, the Jacks will post specials and discounts just for the Facebook community on the page! Click the link on the left side of the Pump Jacks web site or at the top of every news article on the site, and join Pump Jacks Nation on Facebook!
To follow all Pump Jacks news, including player awards, game stories and promotions, log on to the team’s official Website at www.pumpjacksbaseball.com.