FROM CBB NEWS SOURCES
Parting is such sweet sorrow, even in baseball.
Scott Copeland made potentially his last start of the Pump Jacks’ inaugural season Saturday night and he made it count, pitching seven shutout innings in a 5-0 whitewash of the Coppell Copperheads.
Copeland, a sophomore who starred for at Panola College the last two seasons, will be heading to Southern Miss beginning next fall. The Golden Eagles would like to minimize the number of innings for Copeland, who was the top starter for Panola this past spring. As a result, the White Oak native is not expected to make another start for the Pump Jacks this summer.
Knowing this, Copeland certainly made his last start count. He tossed seven shutout innings, giving up just three hits and three walks while striking out an East Texas-record ten batters. This comes on the heels of the first nine-inning complete game in Jacks history, on July 4 against the Brazos Valley Bombers.
Before Copeland even took the hill, though, the Pump Jacks had given him more cushion than he would need. Adam De La Garza opened the game with a double, and Pat McCrory followed with a two-base hit of his own to score De La Garza. After a Matt Curry single, Nate Bryan lined a sacrifice fly to center, scoring McCrory.
East Texas extended the lead in the third inning, when Josh Riley drove a two-out offering for his second home run of the season. He is now tied with De La Garza and Andrew Nettune for the team lead.
The Pump Jacks added a pair of insurance runs in the eighth inning. Curry led off with a walk and proceeded to steal second base. Two outs later, Paige Hodges double to the right-center field gap, scoring Curry. J.D. Dunn followed with a single up the middle that scored Hodges.
With a 5-0 lead in hand, the Jacks turned to Kory Cleveland in the eighth inning. Cleveland allowed a leadoff walk, then retired the next three hitters to shut down the Copperheads.
Aaron Wilkerson came on in the ninth inning and pitched a perfect frame, striking out the side.
On offense, the Pump Jacks posted eight hits against three by Coppell. Curry and Hodges led the way with two hits apiece. Hodges, McCrory, and Riley each drove in a run and scored a run.
The Pump Jacks finish out the two-game set in Coppell on Sunday in game two of a six-game, seven-day road trip. After a day off on Monday, the Jacks will visit the Brazos Valley Bombers (Tuesday and Wednesday) before finishing the trip against McKinney (Thursday and Friday).
The Pump Jacks will return to East Texas next Saturday, July 19. Upon their return, fans will have a chance to pick up a new giveaway at the ballpark – plus some autographed memorabilia. On Saturday, July 19, the Pump Jacks will be giving away ThunderStix – the logo-emblazoned inflatable noisemakers made famous at sporting events around the globe – courtesy of the Kilgore News Herald. The first 500 fans will receive a pair of ThunderStix featuring the Pump Jacks logo on one side and the Kilgore News Herald’s logo on the other.
Fans will have a chance to pick up some great Pump Jacks autographed memorabilia as well on Saturday. The Jacks will be giving away a select number of team-signed baseballs and autographed bats throughout the game. Four Pump Jacks players have already been drafted by Major League teams, and it’s quite possible that anyone on the Jacks can follow in the footsteps of Hunter Pence and Clay Buchholz from the TCL to Major League stardom. This is your chance to pick up autographed memorabilia from the Pump Jacks inaugural season, so don’t miss it!
Next Sunday, July 20, the Jacks will host Family Night for the second game of their series against the Copperheads. Pump Jacks Family Night offers fans a family four-pack of grandstand tickets for just $12 – up to 40% off the regular price of the tickets. Fans also have the option of adding a family-pack of meals – including hot dogs, soft drinks, and chips for four – for an additional $13. That’s four tickets for just $12, or four tickets and four meals for a total of $25, making Family Night the best entertainment deal in East Texas!
The Jacks will then take on the Brazos Valley Bombers for a two-game set on Tuesday and Wednesday, July 22 and 23. On Tuesday night, Pump Jacks fans can enjoy Two Dollar Tuesdays, when the team will offer discounts on select meals, food, and drinks, discounting each one to just two dollars. And on Wednesday, show your colors for Pump Jacks Pride Wednesdays. Fans that wear their Pump Jacks gear on Wednesday nights will receive half-price grandstand tickets for the game. Wear a shirt, bring your cap, or even make your own gear to prove you’re part of Pump Jacks Nation, and you’ll get in for half price at the gate.
Tickets for the remainder of the Jacks’ inaugural season schedule are on sale now. Fans may purchase tickets at the Pump Jacks office at 1100 Stone Road, Suite 120, in Kilgore, or over the phone at (903) 218-GO ET. Tickets may also be purchased online – and printed at home on any home printer – by visiting www.pumpjacksbaseball.com.
Single-game tickets start at $5 each – or $4 for children and seniors – for grandstand general admission tickets. Upper Box seats are $8 each, and Lower Box seats, which feature in-your-seat wait service, are only $10 per ticket.
