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The Grand Prairie AirHogs put together a solid ten hits but despite many opportunities were unable to push across the tying run and lost to the El Paso Diablos 5-4.

The Diablos got on the board first in the third inning when Eddie Rodriguez singled up the middle and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Kenard Bibbs singled to right field advancing Rodriguez. Arnoldo Ponce followed by lifting a sacrifice fly into right field to score Rodriguez. After Jay Yaconetti dropped a pop fly at second that would have ended the inning, Juan Camacho lined a double to the wall to score two runs. Edwin Maldonado blooped a single to center to plate another run to give the Diablos an early 4-0 lead.

The AirHogs answered back in the bottom half of the frame with two runs of their own coming from an Aaron Garza two run shot to left to cut the lead in half.

El Paso plated another run in the fifth by way of an RBI single from former AirHog Edwin Maldonado to give the Diablos a 5-2 lead.

Grand Prairie kept chipping away and in the sixth came to within one run of tying the game. Chad Gabriel started the inning with the second AirHogs triple of the night and was quickly brought home on a single by Derek Nicholson to make the score to 5-3. Mike Conroy then singled to center to move Nicholson to third before Drew Holder blooped an RBI single into the Bermuda triangle to score Nicholson. The AirHogs would go on to load the bases but were unable to get the tying run across.

Jose Cordero was brilliant in relief for the AirHogs pitching three scoreless, hitless, three-up-three-down innings that included striking out the side in the eighth.

Juan Camacho led the way for the Diablos going 3-4 with two RBI and a run scored.

It’s the AirHogs 2nd annual Youth Baseball Night. All local youth baseball leagues are invited out to the ballpark for a night of fun. Pre-registered teams can participate in a pre-game Youth Baseball Parade. Contact the AirHogs for more information: 972.504.9383

Gates Open 6 p.m.

Game Time 7:05 p.m.

vs. El Paso Diablos

The Grand Prairie AirHogs pounded out fourteen hits tonight in a rally behind the strong performance of starter Matt Green to hold off the Pensacola Pelicans for an 8-4 win.

The game remained scoreless until the bottom of the fourth when Mike Conroy got the bats started by singling to second base. Aaron Garza laid a bunt single down the third base line advancing Conroy to second. Jay Yaconetti followed up with a base hit into left field, scoring Conroy from second to give the AirHogs the early 1-0 lead. Brandon Carter followed with another hit past the diving second basemen to score Garza and push the lead to two.

The AirHogs struck again the very next inning scoring two more by combining a Cesar Nicolas walk and back-to-back doubles from J.B. Tucker and Mike Conroy to make the score 4-0.

The Pelicans threatened to tie the game in the seventh when they received back-to-back singles from Luis Guance and Rafael Alvarez. A wild pitch advanced the runners to second and third before Marcos Rodriguez grounded out to second base to score Alvarez. Dallas Christison roped a two run double to right field to make the score 4-3.

The AirHogs added another run in the bottom half of the inning on an Aaron Garza singled that scored Mike Conroy to give the AirHogs a two run lead.

Pensacola fought back scoring one more run in the eighth but that proved to be their final run of the night. In the bottom half of the frame the AirHogs added three insurance runs. After a lead off single from Brandon Carter, Chad Gabriel and Derek Nicholson both walked to load the bases. Cesar Nicolas then singled in two to get a league leading 30th RBI and give the AirHogs a 7-4 lead. Mike Conroy then added another run by singling up the middle to score Nicholson.

The AirHogs were given a much needed dominant start from their starting pitcher Mike Green who went six and two thirds innings allowing only five hits, three runs, one walk, and striking out eight. Green also had a stretch of four hit-less innings from the second to the fifth.

Pelican starter Randy Beam didn’t fare as well lasting only four and two thirds innings, allowing ten hits, and giving up four runs.

The Grand Prairie AirHogs will play the El Paso Diablos in a four game series, starting tomorrow night at QuikTrip Park. Tomorrow night will feature “Youth Baseball Night” with gates opening at 6 p.m. and a game time of 7:05 p.m. For Tickets, call 972.504.9383 or visit www.airhogsbaseball.com.

The Pelicans performed well as a team on Saturday, edging Grand Prairie to win 5-4. A day after blasting the Air Hogs 10-1, the Pelicans one-run lead would be enough for Bubba Nelson to earn the win.

The first batter that Nelson faced hit a homerun to right field. Brandon Carter hit his second whammy of the year to put the Air Hogs on the board first, but they wouldn’t score again until the sixth inning. In the meantime, doubles would help the Pelicans take the lead.

Marcos Rodriguez led off the third inning with a double. Francisco Leandro followed with a base hit, and then stole second base. Antoin Gray walked to load the bases, when the other double came into play: Luis Guance hit a two-RBI double down the right field line and the Pelicans took the lead. Rafael Alvarez followed with a two-RBI hit of his own, a single that gave the Pelicans insurance with a score of 4-1.

The Pelicans added their game-winning run on an error in the top of the fourth. Luis Bautista led off with a single, and with one out, Francisco Leandro walked. With two out, Antoin Gray hit a routine groundball to the shortstop, whom let it get under his glove and into left field. Bautista came into score, and the Pelicans led 5-1.

The Air Hogs added three runs in the sixth, but it wasn’t enough, as the Pelicans held on to win 5-4. Bubba Nelson earned the win, pitching two outs into the bottom of the sixth. Dane DeValk came on and pitched the last out of the sixth and the first two of the seventh before deferring to Brent Solich. Solich picked up an out in the bottom of the seventh and one in the eighth before Hunter Davis came in. Davis retired the last five batters of the game in order, striking out two to earn his seventh save.

Luis Guance ended the night 2-4, with two doubles, and Marcos Rodriguez had a double and two singles to finish the evening 3-4. Jimmy Mojica made his first appearance since the first June series against the Air Hogs. Mojica pinch-ran for Rodriguez at first base, and promptly stole second, his ninth robbery of the year.

The Pelicans will look for the series sweep tomorrow as Randy Beam is set to start for Pensacola. First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 p.m.

Fans, don’t forget that you can practice hitting at the Pelicans’ batting practice facility, the Pelicans Training Academy. Located at 4920 N. Davis Highway in Pensacola, the batting cage facility is perfect for individuals, teams, and corporate events. Summer camps are starting soon! Find enrollment information and more at www.pelicanstrainingacademy.com

The Grand Prairie AirHogs fell short on offense, managing only one run in the 10-1 loss to the Pensacola Pelicans, Friday night at QuikTrip Park.

Pelicans starter Kyle Middleton was dominant throughout his eight innings of work, including a stretch of no-hit baseball between the third and seventh innings. The Pelicans surprised the Hogs’ as they came into tonight’s game with the second worse ERA in the league for the month of June, but used the Middleton and Aaron Jackson duo to ground the AirHogs bats.

The game remained scoreless until the top of the fourth when Antoin Gray singled up the middle and was sacrificed to second on a bunt by Luis Guance. Rafael Alvarez singled to right field and Gray was thrown out at the plate by right fielder Mike Conroy. Chase Burch then launched a two run homer out of the stadium to give the Pelicans a 2-0 lead.

Pensacola struck again the very next inning when Marcos Rodriguez singled down the third baseline. Francisco Leandro followed with a base on balls. With two runners on Antoin Gray hit a monster shot over the left field restaurant to make it 5-0. Luis Guance followed with a single and then stole second. Rafael Alvarez doubled into the left field gap to score Guance and push the Pelican lead to six before Jose Cordero came in to stop the bleeding.

The Pelicans scored two more in both the sixth and eighth innings to push the lead to ten.

AirHogs pitching struggled allowing ten runs, thirteen hits, walking nine and striking out only two.

Grand Prairie never got the timing they needed as they scattered seven hits throughout the game, but struck out six times and earned their only free pass with one out in the the ninth. Mike Conroy got the AirHogs’ lone RBI of the night on a single that scored Nicholson in the ninth.

The second game of this three game series will be played tomorrow night at QuikTrip Park. Gates open at 6 p.m. and game time is 7:05 p.m. for the long-awaited “Octomom Night” promotion and post-game FIREWORKS. Groups of eight or more will get in half-price and if the AirHogs score eight or more runs, everyone in the stands will receive a free ticket to a future game. For tickets, call 972.504.9383 or visit www.airhogsbaseball.com.

The Pelicans played arguably their most complete ballgame this year, blanking the Air Hogs 8-0. Kyle Middleton went seven innings in the win, and Antoin Gray and Justin Humphries each hit a two-run dinger in the victory.

Pensacola struck in their first shot at the plate, putting two runs on the board. Dallas Christison walked with one out, and Antoin Gray followed with a two-run blast over the left field fence. A mere inning later, Justin Humphries hit the Pelicans’ second two run homer over the very same wall, following a Marcos Rodriguez single.

Kyle Middleton took care of the Air Hogs in the bottom of the second, bringing the Pelicans up in the third. Luis Guance led off and thanked his starter with a double down the left field line. With Luis Bautista at the plate, Guance stole third, coming into score when Bautista hit a sacrifice fly to make the score 5-0 Pensacola.

The Pelicans opened the fifth with Luis Guance singling to right center. With one out, Gaunce picked up his second steal by swiping second base, and then advanced to third on an error by the catcher. Marcos Rodriguez came up and hit a double to score Guance. With two out, Justin Humphries came up and switched places with Rodriguez by hitting a double.

The Pelicans led 7-0 to start the sixth. Antoin Gray hit a single with one out. Luis Guance walked with two away, pushing Gray to second. When Bautista walked, the bases were loaded, with Marcos Rodriguez striding to the left-handed batter’s box. Rodriguez hit a ball to shortstop that was bobbled; Rodriguez reached, and each runner moved up a base. Gray touched home and the Pelicans were up 8-0.

Kyle Middleton pitched through the seventh giving up five hits, no runs, and striking out six. With his performance tonight, Middleton has pitched the last 18 consecutive innings without allowing an earned run. Brent Solich struck out two while retiring Grand Prairie in order in the eighth. Hunter Davis closed it down in the ninth one-two-three with a strikeout.

Offensively, Dallas Christison went 3-4 with two doubles and a run scored. Antoin Gray finished the night 2-4 with two runs scored, two RBI, and the two-run homer from the first inning. Luis Gaunce went 2-3 with two runs scored, a double, and two stolen bases. Justin Humphries went deep with a two-run shot in the second, a double in the fifth, and finished the night 3-5 with 3 RBI and scoring once himself. Marcos Rodriguez hit a double and finished 3-5.

The Pelicans return home during an off day Sunday, resting up to host a three game set against the first-place Fort Worth Cats Monday through Wednesday. Pelican Park will be busy all three days: June 8 is Mutt Monday, as fans are encouraged to bring their canines to the park. Tuesday, June 9 is Teacher Appreciation Day: faculty and staff can purchase buy one, get one free tickets with a school ID. The mornings of June 9 and 10 feature a free youth baseball clinic at Pelican Park, sponsored by Chevy. To sign up for the clinic, go online at chevyyouthsports.com/rsvp.

Pete Incaviglia faced a future of playing America’s national pastime not just in a baseball outpost, but in another nation.

The former Oklahoma State star altered his future, however, sidestepping the hapless Montreal Expos— the team that drafted him in the first round of the 1985 draft — and landing with the Texas Rangers instead.

It was a controversial move that led to Major League Baseball’s official Rule 3(b)(7), or what is more commonly known as the “Pete Incaviglia Rule.”

The story goes that Incaviglia balked at playing in Canada, although he calls such reports false.

“There’s so many stories out there,” Incaviglia said, “and I don’t think any of them are right. When I went to Bucky Woy, who was my agent at that time. I told him, ‘I want to go to Major League spring training, so I can go and see what I’m going to have to do to compete on the highest level.’

“That’s all I wanted. I wanted to be in Major League spring training, competing against Major League pitchers, players, etc., so I could see what I was going to have to do to play there.”

Then it was the Expos’ turn to balk.

“And Montreal said, ‘No way are we going to send you to Major League spring training,’” said Incaviglia. “I said, ‘Why? If I’m not good enough, send me down. But give me the chance in spring training to see what I have to do. I want to compare myself. I want to see where I’m at.’

“They would not do it. That was the whole reason I didn’t end up in Montreal. Not because I didn’t want to go to Canada, not because of anything else. All I wanted was to go to Major League spring training and see how I stood up against the best in the world.”

With negotiations at a standstill, the Expos convinced then-commissioner Peter Ueberroth to allow another club to work a contract with Incaviglia, then trade for him.

That led to the “Pete Incaviglia Rule,” which prohibits teams from trading a player it drafts until he’s been under contract to the club for at least one year.

Eventually, the Rangers agreed to Incaviglia’s request to go to spring training with the big club, dealing two players to the Expos for him.

And Incaviglia never played a day in the minors, one of just four players in history to do so at the time, debuting on April 8, 1986 with Texas.

He played 13 seasons of professional baseball with seven teams, none in Canada.

But he did play one year, 1995, with the Chiba Lotte Marines — in Japan.

Derek Nicholson and Cesar Nicholas combined for five RBI and Grand Prairie scored six runs in the middle innings for a 9-5 victory Saturday night against the Pensacola Pelicans.

The teams will close out their series tonight (6:05 p.m.) at Pelican Park.

A crowd of 2,335 stayed around for a post-game fireworks display.

The Pelicans’ Chase Burch went 3-for-4, including his third home run of the year. The shot enabled him to retake the team lead for homers. He was tied for the lead with Rafael Alvarez.

Alvarez went 2-5 with a stolen base and a run scored, and Jimmy Mojica hitting .500 tonight with a walk and a run.

The series finale features the Pelicans’ LHP Dan Smith starting against Grand Prairie’s recently acquired arm, LHP Cody Crowell.

The Shreveport-Bossier Captains’ series opener Tuesday night with the Grand Prairie AirHogs has been postponed due to unplayable field conditions at QuikTrip Park. The scheduled 7:05 start of the game was originally delayed due to impending bad weather, which hit the area around 8:20 p.m. It rained for about 30 minutes, but after the tarp was pulled off the field, and the rains stopped, it was determined that some areas of the field would not be ready for baseball tonight.

The postponement, the first of the year for the Captains, forces a doubleheader Wednesday morning. The original game that was scheduled for 10:35 a.m. will be a seven-inning game, with the makeup game, also seven innings, to follow afterwards.

Stay tuned to www.sbcaptains.com for any other weather updates.

The Shreveport-Bossier Captains continue their road trip with three games in Grand Prairie before three more with El Paso, and return home for a three-game set with Pensacola, starting Monday, June 1, with Ladies’ Night on Jose Cuervo presents Margarita Monday. All games are broadcast on ESPN Radio, KRMD-1340 AM and streamed live on supertalk1340.com, with streaming video provided by NiftyTV on www.sbcaptains.com for all home games and select road games.

The Grand Prairie AirHogs announce the signing of former Texas Ranger pitcher, Pat Mahomes. Mahomes, 6′4, 220lbs, 38 yrs., will get the start on Wednesday’s early start 10:35 a.m. game against the Shreveport Bossier Captains, in front of a sold-out crowd for the AirHogs’ second annual “School Day” game.

An original sixth round draft pick by the Minnesota Twins in 1988, this is Mahomes’ third stint with the American Association as he played with the Sioux Falls Canaries in 2007 and 2008. He was named player of the week in consecutive weeks in 07′ and posted an ERA of 3.21 that year. He will be playing for another former Texas Ranger, Pete Incaviglia, who is the current manager of the AirHogs.

Mahomes has played in several leagues, many Major League affiliated teams including the Twins, Red Sox, Mets, Cubs, Rangers and Pirates, and has a history in Japan. His best season came in 1999 with the Mets as he went a perfect 8-0 with a 3.68 ERA and helped his team into the playoffs. In 2007, Toronto singed him and he became a free agent at the end of the year, where he then came back to the American Association.