Colts gain edge on Broncos with 7-2 win

By DENNIS SILVA II
LAREDO MORNING TIMES

If there can ever be a crucial series in June, the Broncos’ current stand against San Angelo is it.

Despite being just 32 games into a 90-game season, the Broncos stood just a half-game back of the Colts for second place in United League Baseball heading into Tuesday’s opener of a three-game series at Veterans Field.

“It’s a huge series,” Broncos General Manager Jose Melendez said prior to Tuesday’s contest. “We can gain a lot of ground if we play well and take care of business.”

The Broncos certainly didn’t take care of business on Tuesday.

Despite a strong outing from ace Santo Hernandez, Laredo’s offense – the second-best in ULB – failed badly as the Colts claimed a 7-2 win before a crowd of 896.

The win kept San Angelo (19-15) in second place as the Broncos (17-16) fell a game and a half back of second.

The two teams entered the opener on respective two-game winning streaks, and with 13 games remaining for Laredo in the first half of the season, time is money.

“It’s urgent,” Melendez said. “There’s no time to be fiddling around anymore, this series is huge. We want to be talking about prospective first-half champs next week.”

The Broncos won’t be talking of “champs” anytime soon if they play like they did Tuesday.

A horrific ninth inning ruined a shot at a potentially simple rally for Laredo.

The first eight Colts reached base, and the first five scored, as San Angelo turned a one-run lead into a six-run advantage in the blink of an eye, courtesy of a bases-loaded walk and four consecutive RBI singles.

The ninth batter of the inning produced the first out.

Laredo had jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning following Dwayne White’s RBI single.

But San Angelo’s Aaron Cone and Bryan Frichter answered with solo homers off Hernandez in the second and third innings, respectively.

That would be the last from the Colts for awhile as Hernandez proceeded to retire 11 consecutive batters before walking Cone to leadoff the seventh.

Fittingly, as soon as Hernandez was pulled from the game after the eighth – his longest outing of the season – things went awry for Laredo.

John Smith entered the game and promptly allowed a single and walked two batters to leadoff the ninth.

He was abruptly pulled for lefty Rusty Jones, who then allowed a bases-loaded walk and surrendered four consecutive RBI singles before compiling a strikeout and forcing Jason Crosland into a double play to end a five-run, five-hit inning for San Angelo.

The Broncos threatened by loading the bases with one out in the ninth.

Eric Padilla’s RBI single cut the deficit to 7-2 but right-handed closer Miliade Venas forced Luany Sanchez to strikeout with the bases loaded.

Hernandez (4-2) got the loss, throwing eight innings and surrendering two runs on five hits before striking out eight and walking two.

Colts starter Logan Williamson (4-2) got the win, throwing 6.1 innings and allowing one run on five hits while striking out five and walking three.

Venas earned his first save of the season.

San Angelo compiled seven runs on 10 hits as Laredo tallied two runs on eight hits.

BRONCO BITS: The Broncos placed infielder Ben Day on the inactive list and signed left-hander Rhett Barber, who played under current Broncos manager Dan Shwam for the Can-Am Grays…The Broncos will make up the June 6 contest against Amarillo which they led 12-11 in the ninth inning on Friday. The game was postponed because the lights went out in Amarillo. Friday’s makeup will start at 7 p.m., followed by a seven-inning affair against the Dillas immediately afterward…White boosted his hitting streak to 22 consecutive games by way of his RBI single in the first inning.