Aviators’ first series a split

Coastal Bend takes 2 of 4 against Cats

Game 1
Aviators 7, Fort Worth 3
The Coastal Bend Aviators made it look easy in their Central League debut.
Mike Smith, who pitched in the big leagues for the Baltimore Orioles in 1989 and 1990, gave up just one earned run and four hits in eight innings as the Aviators cruised to victory.
Coastal Bend didn’t flex its muscle as much as it showed off its ability to hit for average. The Aviators had eight hits, but all of them were singles.

Game 2
Aviators 9, Fort Worth 1
Every Coastal Bend player in the lineup finished with at least one hit as the Aviators offense smothered the Cats.
Catcher Gregg Maluchnik hit the first home run in Aviators history.
Brian Langen was dominant on the mound, pitching a scoreless five innings and allowing just three hits.

Game 3
Fort Worth 6, Aviators 5 (10 innings)
Fort Worth’s Shawn Greene ended Coastal Bend’s hot start by smashing a walk-off, two-run homer to beat the Aviators in 10 innings.
The Aviators broke a tie in the 10th inning when Juan Querecuto led off the inning with a double and came around to score on a Mark Bugger single.

Game 4
Fort Worth 11, Aviators 9
Fort Worth beat Coastal Bend with a home run that is probably still being debated around the Aviators’ locker room.
Jim Essian broke open a tie game in the eighth inning with a three-run homer that appeared to hit off the top of the outfield wall. Essian was held to a double, before Fort Worth manager Wayne Terwilliger came out to argue, and the umpires changed the call.