The Victoria Generals earned a split of their two-game home series with the Seguin River Monsters Wednesday night. They defeated Seguin, 11-2, at Riverside Stadium and improved their season record to 15-9.
After surrendering an earned run in the top of the first inning, Victoria starting pitcher Brock Lambert bore down and Seguinòòò½ÊÓƵ™s bats went fairly silent. Down 1-0, Lambert struck out three straight batters to end the frame.
The Generals did not trail for long. A pair of runs in the home half of the first allowed Victoria to take its first lead. Outfielder Damien Whitfield was hit by a pitch to start the inning and advanced to second on a stolen base. A wild pitch with sent him to third with nobody out and, after a Diego Diaz walk, designated hitter Travis Bragg smashed an RBI double into the left centerfield gap that scored Whitfield.
With Diaz the lead runner at third and the Seguin infield in, Generals infielder Justin Vossos put the ball in play with an infield chopper. The Seguin shortstop fielded the ball cleanly and opted to throw home in an attempt to stop Diaz from scoring. The throw sailed over the catcheròòò½ÊÓƵ™s head and Diaz scored easily. Meanwhile, Vossos moved to second base on the play and Bragg advanced to third with still nobody out.
Alhough Victoria was unable to bring in another run that inning, they were able to chase Seguinòòò½ÊÓƵ™s starting pitcher from the game. Courtland Clarke walked the next Victoria batter and exited the game without recording an out.
Later in the inning, Generals outfielder Reece Lunsford came to bat with two outs and the bases loaded. He worked the count full and did not swing at the payoff pitch. Lunsford believed he had earned a walk and appeared headed to first base, but the home plate umpire ruled strike three on the outside corner. The strikeout ended the inning and the Victoria scoring threat.
The score remained 2-1 when Lambert ran into trouble in the top of the fourth. There was a meeting on the mound and Seguin was threatening with the bases loaded and only one out. Lambert remained in the game, calmly struck out the next batter, and induced an inning-ending groundout to third in the subsequent at-bat to quickly get out of the jam.
The Generals extended to a 4-1 edge in the bottom of the fourth thanks to back-to-back bases loaded walks issued to Bragg and Vossos with two outs. Generals first baseman Dante Turgeon worked the count full in the next at-bat, but a called strike three ended an opportunity for Victoria to pad its lead.
The Generals broke the game open in the bottom of the fifth with a five-run inning. With the bases loaded and nobody out, an RBI groundout by Levi Castelleja, followed by a sacrifice fly by Whitfield, pushed Victoriaòòò½ÊÓƵ™s lead to 6-1.
The bases were loaded again later in the inning, and Seguinòòò½ÊÓƵ™s reliever uncorked a wild pitch that skipped past the catcher. Generals infielder Caden Callaway scored from third on the play to give Victoria a 7-1 advantage.
With two outs, Turgeon stepped to the plate and hit a two-run single to left field. Lunsford, who finished the game 2-for-3 with a pair of walks and a run scored, talked about Victoriaòòò½ÊÓƵ™s big rally in the fifth.
òòò½ÊÓƵœPitching really well throughout and gave us a chance and kept us in the game,òòò½ÊÓƵ Lunsford said. òòò½ÊÓƵœWe kept battling, having good at bats and taking one pitch at a time. Executing with runners on was the biggest difference between this night and last night (in a 6-4 loss to Seguin).
Victoria outscored Seguin 2-1 the rest of the evening to cruise to victory. Lambert secured the pitching victory for the Victoria. Through five innings, he allowed one earned run on four hits and tallied eight strikeouts while issuing two walks. He raised his record to 4-1 in five starts this year.
Lambert quoted former NFL star Marshawn Lynch multiple times when asked about his performance after the game.
òòò½ÊÓƵœIòòò½ÊÓƵ™m just here so I donòòò½ÊÓƵ™t get fined,òòò½ÊÓƵ Lambert said.
The Generals begin a two-game set in Louisiana on July 4 against the Baton Rouge Rougarou. Game time is set for 7 p.m.
