SAN ANGELO, TX - The Fort Worth Cats defeated the San Angelo Colts 8-7 in a 12 inning game at Foster Field in San Angelo, TX.



Cats shortstop Shelby Ford, who was once the top ranked second baseman in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization, made his first start for Fort Worth after suffering a hamstring injury in spring training. Ford was 2-for-6 with a run and a run batted in. Ford knocked in center fielder Randall Thorpe on a single in the third inning to put the Cats ahead 3-1. Ford later scored on a single from first baseman Jose Ruiz in the seventh to tie the game 6-6.



Ruiz would finish the game 4-for-6 with two runs scored. Ruiz, along with right fielder Chuck Caufield, scored on a double from third baseman Brandon Jones in the second inning and on a bases-loaded fielder’s choice from second baseman Jon Dziomba in the sixth.



Jones would also pick up four hits in the game and led the team with three runs batted in. Jones picked up his third RBI on an eighth inning solo homerun that tied the game at 7-7 and pushed the game to extra innings.



Despite the clutch performance from Jones, the real hero tonight was Dziomba who put the Cats on top in the top of the 12th with a sacrifice fly that allowed catcher Derek Marshall to tag up and score.



Fort Worth starter Tim Haines (1-0) started off hot throwing three innings and only giving up one run on one hit.



In the fourth, the Colts lit up Haines with five runs on six hits. First baseman Daryl Jones led the inning off with a solo homerun to cut the Cats lead to two runs. Jones finished batting 2-for-6 with one run and two runs batted in.




Left fielder Jason Crosland hit another homerun later in the inning to tie the game at 4-4. Crosland finished with identical numbers to Jones.




After the ugly fourth inning, Haines would go on to pitch two more innings and only gave up two more hits to the Colts.



​Fort Worth reliever Mace Thurman, who leads the team with five appearances, came in for 1 2/3 innings of relief and only gave up one run on three hits. Thurman picked up three strikeouts and leads the team with ten on the season.



Brandon Wilkerson (1-0) picked up the win after pitching two innings and only giving up one hit.



Closer Jeff Jamnik came in for the bottom of the 12th to earn his fourth save. Jamnik gave up one hit and struck out one.



​San Angelo reliever Kyle Boggio (0-1) suffered the loss for the Colts. Boggio threw the last three innings of the game and only gave up one hit and the walk off run.



​The Cats and Colts face each other again tomorrow night for the final game of their two game series before the two teams come to Fort Worth to face off twice more over the weekend.



The Cats move one game closer to first place and now sit one game behind the Colts with a record of 6-3. The Colts will try to defend their first place spot tomorrow night at 7:05 at Foster Field.

Official Box Score: http://www.pointstreak.com/baseball/boxscoretext.html?gameid=96528