TERRE HAUTE —
Apparently the worst thing the three pitchers from the Dupage Dragons could do Friday night at Bob Warn Field was get the second out of the inning.
The Terre Haute Rex were at their best with one out to go, getting eight of their nine hits and scoring all of their runs in that situation in snapping a three-game Prospect League baseball losing streak with a 9-6 win that was more decisive than it looked.
“Pretty clutch,” said Rex pitcher Alex Sachs of that offensive support. “They’ve been getting me a lot of runs, and I appreciate that a lot.”
“That is amazing,” manager Brian Dorsett said when reminded of the two-out production. “The heart and soul of this team is true competitiveness. They don’t give up.”
Dupage had a couple of early leads, scoring in each of the first two innings against Sachs. The Dragons executed a first-and-third double steal in the top of the first, when there appeared to be miscommunication in the Rex infield, and got a pair of doubles in the second inning (although the second was pretty inexpensive, a soft liner that took a 45-degree-angle bounce past right fielder Chris Carlson).
Sachs helped himself get out of that second inning by picking Mike Correa off second base, however, and was all but untouchable for the next few innings. He allowed just two more hits, one of those never leaving the infield.
“[The game] started out rough, but I made some adjustments,” Sachs said afterward. “I focused on hitting my spots better; once I started getting in my rhythm, I was pretty locked in.”
“It’s a rhythm thing with [Sachs],” Dorsett agreed. “He’s trying to command three pitches, take something off his fastball, stay down in the [strike] zone … he made some good pitches early, but [the Dragons] were able to get a couple balls he left up.”
The Rex got their first two-out run in the bottom of the first, when Carlson singled with two out and came home when Nolan Earley doubled over the left fielder’s head. Then, in the bottom of the third, the home team went to work in earnest.
Kyle Burnam walked with one out and stole second, which turned out to be a key play because the Dupage shortstop had no play on Koby Kraemer’s ground ball to the hole that followed the steal. Losing pitcher Kevin Johnson got the second out, and the Rex had him right where they wanted him.
Earley got the game-tying RBI, smashing a single to right that sent Burnam home and Kraemer from first to third. Alex Guthrie broke the tie with a grounder between first and second, and an error on Joe Meggs’ grounder loaded the bases. Jared Broughton singled for two runs, Braden Kline added another run-scoring hit, Ray Hernandez was hit by a pitch to reload the bases and Burnam drew his second walk of the inning for the final RBI.
“We were losing by a run and Sachs was pitching a good game, so we had to give him some runs,” Earley said afterward. “I was just trying to put the ball in play, and it got through … I was trying to make the defense work. As long as I put the ball in play, that’s all I can control.”
“Those two-out hits were huge,” Dorsett said. “[Johnson] got the ball up and we were able to capitalize … that’s the name of the game, put the ball in play hard.”
Sachs controlled the game until leaving after 104 pitches with one out in the top of the eighth, and his teammates gave him two more runs in the seventh.
This time Earley, with four hits and four stolen bases in Thursday and Friday’s games, led off the inning with a walk and was in scoring position after his steal. With two out — of course — Broughton hit a liner to center that went for a triple when a diving catch attempt didn’t work, and Kline added to his best offensive game of the season with his second run-scoring hit.
Those runs made the eighth inning a little more comfortable when Cole Vicars — pitching in relief for the first time in the second half of the season — was victimized by a pair of infield hits that inflated his earned run average and enabled the visitors to get within three runs. But Ryne Purcell got his ninth save with an easy ninth frame.
Coupled with a Friday loss by Nashville at Dubois County, the win built Terre Haute’s second-half division lead back to two and a half games.
“That was a big win,” said Earley. “It put us another game up … but we still need to get two or three [wins] from [Nashville] when we go down there [next week].”
The Rex had their second-largest crowd of the season for a second straight night, bringing 1,293 to the park for fireworks on Friday after 1,264 attended Thursday’s game. Just two regular-season home games remain, Quincy on Wednesday and Danville in the regular-season finale on Aug. 7.
Terre Haute Rex
Rex score eight of nine runs with two outs in inning
- Terre Haute Rex
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Loss drops Rex into first-place tie
In a battle for first place in the West Division of the Prospect League baseball standings, the Terre Haute Rex fell just short Monday night at Bob Warn Field.
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Sliders’ frustration against Rex continues
The Springfield Sliders probably curse the departure of the Dubois County Bombers from the Prospect League more than most.
What do the Bombers, who now ply their trade in the Ohio Valley League, have to do with the Sliders, or for that matter, the Terre Haute Rex?
When the Bombers left the Prospect League it created a situation where the Prospect League’s West Division teams — the Rex and Sliders both being members — had one less opponent to play in intradivision play.
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Sanchez stays hot to lead Rex to victory
Hot seems to be the right temperature for Terre Haute Rex Ricky Sanchez.
After going 3-for-5 in the Rex win on Tuesday at Hannibal, Sanchez drove in four runs with a two hits Wednesday in Terre Haute’s 6-5 win over the same Cavemen at Bob Warn Stadium.
The win allowed the Rex to maintain a one-game lead on Quincy in the Prospect League West Division standings.
Sanchez, a catcher and outfielder out of Notre Dame, started the night hitting .355 and was 2-for-3 at the plate with a double.
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Rex fall at home to Sliders
Zack Evans drilled the second Terre Haute Rex home run of the season Sunday, smashing a line drive into the trees in left field. The ball left Bob Warn Field in a hurry, but the solo shot was not enough to overcome a 3-1 deficit to the Springfield Sliders.
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Rex looking to return to pitching dominance Sunday against Springfield
During a 7-1 start and franchise-best seven-game winning streak, Terre Haute Rex pitching was the catalyst. Through eight games, the Rex led the Prospect League with an earned-run average of 1.11.
Even after giving up 10 runs Friday night in a 10-6 loss to the Quincy Gems, the Rex (7-2) are still the league leader in ERA at 2.09. -
Terre Haute Rex win franchise-record seventh straight game
Having begun its fourth season as a member of the Prospect League, the Terre Haute Rex summer baseball team had never won seven games in a row.
That is, until now. -
Rex pull even with Gems in first place after 14-inning win
It took 3 hours, 45 minutes on Tuesday at Bob Warn Field, but the Terre Haute Rex got even.
The Rex avenged their season-opening loss to the Quincy Gems, and the 5-4 victory in 14 innings also pulled the team even with the Gems atop the Prospect League West Division standings. -
Rex down Cavemen for fourth straight
Five Terre Haute Rex pitchers scattered six hits and four walks over nine innings on Sunday. All 10 baserunners were left stranded by Hannibal, and the Rex hurlers combined for a shutout of the Cavemen.
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Rex keep rolling with third straight victory
The formula didn’t have to change Saturday night as the Terre Haute Rex extended their winning streak to three games in Prospect League baseball.
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Wampler's three hits, three RBI lead Rex to win at Springfield
Tyler Wampler was 3-for-4 and had three RBI as the Terre Haute Rex earned its maiden victory of the 2013 season with a 6-0 victory over Springfield at Robin Roberts Field.
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Rex edged by Quincy in season opener
Kurt Kudrecki’s defense made a couple costly miscues, and his lineup managed just five hits through seven innings against Quincy, as the Gems held on for a 4-3 victory in the season opener for the Terre Haute Rex.
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2012 an up, down season for Rex
The Terre Haute Rex went through plenty of trials and tribulations during the summer of 2012.
The team got off to a sluggish start to settle for third place during the first half of the Prospect League race, but manager Brian Dorsett rallied the troops to a second-half title. -
Metro Roundup: Dorsett, Rex players honored in Prospect League postseason awards
Terre Haute Rex closer Nick Blount won one award and shared another and Brian Dorsett shared Manager of the Year honors as the Prospect League announced postseason awards Saturday.
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Rex out of playoffs
Successful playoff baseball = clean baseball.
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Rex mix, match their way to win
The Terre Haute Rex clinched a playoff spot last Thursday … but there were still four games to be played.
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Rex turn eye to Prospect playoffs
Fans attending this evening’s Terre Haute Rex game should expect some handouts, some surprises — and probably better start by the home team than the Rex could provide Saturday night.
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Rex drop road game to Sliders 7-1
One night after a dramatic come-from-behind victory, the Terre Haute Rex went down meekly to the Springfield Sliders 7-1 in Prospect League baseball Friday night.
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Rex defeat Springfield twice, clinch spot in playoffs
It was a long but fruitful night for the playoff-bound Terre Haute Rex.
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Playoff march continues: Rex creep closer to postseason with victory over Dans
Hire the band, make the floats, and rent out a street.
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Rex split, retain 3 1⁄2-game advantage in West Division
A five-run ninth-inning rally fell far short for the Terre Haute Rex on Sunday night in Prospect League baseball.
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No no-hitter, but Rex triumphs
Kyle Zimmerman took a no-hitter into the seventh inning, lost his control and the lead, but the Terre Haute Rex offense had an immediate answer Friday night at Bob Warn Field.
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Travel baseball teams enjoy busy summer
So in the past two or three years, the increase in local travel baseball options has been led by three groups, Indiana (formerly Terre Haute) Havoc, Riley Recreation League and Junior Rex.
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First-place Rex top rival Bombers
If you haven’t been to a Terre Haute Rex game yet this season, tonight might be the time to go.
The Rex have a second straight home game against the Dubois County Bombers, a potential Prospect League West Division playoff preview — and a battle between maybe the division’s two biggest rivals. -
Rex top Cavemen, raise record to 14-6
The first-place Terre Haute Rex picked up a 6-4 victory Wednesday at Hannibal, Mo., against the Cavemen.
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Rex win first game of Saturday doubleheader
Terre Haute maintained its stronghold on first place in the Prospect League West Division on Saturday, the Rex defeating Dubois County 6-1 in the first game of a doubleheader.
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Strunc fans 10, Rex win 12-10
Power pitching and power hitting kept a season-high crowd of 1,732 Rex fans on the edge of their seats Friday night at Bob Warn Field.
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Starting role suits Cunningham as Rex win
Nick Cunningham took the mound Thursday in his relatively new role as starting pitcher looking to give the Terre Haute Rex some breathing room atop the Prospect League West Division standings.
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Rex fall at Danville, maintain two-game division lead
The Terre Haute Rex lost 7-4 on Wednesday at Danville, falling to 9-4 in the second half of the Prospect League schedule.
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High drama, but no win
Pinch-hitter Michael Eberle provided patient Terre Haute Rex fans with plenty of excitement by belting a three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning to tie the score against the Springfield Sliders at 9-9.
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Rex cool off against Springfield
It was a game Terre Haute probably didn’t deserve to win, and, despite an outstanding bullpen effort and focused hitting in the last few innings, the Rex did lose Monday for the first time since July 4 at Quincy.
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