KILGORE — Jason Jester broke the Texas Collegiate League record for single-season saves in the East Texas Pump Jacks’ doubleheader with the Alexandria Aces on Thursday at Driller Park.
The Hallsville native and Texas A&M junior registered his 14th save of the summer in a 5-2 victory in the opener. The Pump Jacks fell 5-3 to the Aces in the nightcap.
East Texas, which finished first in the league in the opening half of the season and secured a playoff berth, will carry a 2-2 record in the second half into Saturday’s road matchup against Victoria. Alexandria improved to 3-2 in the second half and travels to The Woodlands today.
Game 1
Jester, a hard-throwing righty, entered the first game in the top of the seventh and fanned all three batters he faced. The Pump Jacks used three pitchers before handing ball to Jester, with starter Jeff Stovall (Nebraska) getting the victory to improve to 5-0.
East Texas scored three runs in the first and another in the second to take command at 4-0. The Pump Jacks shut out the Aces in five of the six innings, but allowed four runs in the fourth.
Alexandria’s Devin Malone (Louisiana-Monroe) got the loss despite a complete game, falling to 1-2 on the season.
Pump Jacks slugger Justin Wall, a sophomore at Dallas Baptist, finished 2 for 4 with a double and four RBIs. Kash Kalkowski (Nebraska) finished 3 for 4 with a double and an RBI, while R.J. Santigate (Kansas State) and Logan Preston (Louisiana-Lafayette) also supplied RBIs.
Game 2
Alexandria took a 2-0 lead in the second inning and never looked back to prevail in the nightcap.
The Aces’ Zach Rodgers (Cochise College) led the way at the plate, finishing 1 for 3 with a pair of RBIs. Teammate Lucas Quary of McNeese State added a 2-for-3 performance, plus crossed the plate twice.
East Texas’ Kevin O’Leary (Tennessee), Logan Davis (Chandler-Gilbert CC) and Kalkowski finished with RBIs.
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Texas Collegiate League
At Driller Park, Kilgore
Game 2
Alexandria 5, East Texas 3
Alexandria 012 002 0 — 5 3 1
East Texas 000 021 0 — 3 5 3
Ben Frith, Carey Taylor (6) and Tyler Vail; Jacob Lindgren, Gerardo Esquivel (6) and Louie Helmburg; W — Frith (2-4); L — Lindgren (0-3); S — Taylor (1). 2B — A: Quary; ET: Taylor Murphy.
RECORDS — Alexandria 3-2; East Texas 1-2.
NEXT UP — Alexandria at The Woodlands, 7:05 p.m. today; East Texas at Victoria, 7:05 p.m. today.
Game 1
East Texas 5, Alexandria 2
Alexandria 000 200 0 — 2 5 2
East Texas 310 100 x — 5 9 0
Devin Malone and Ryan Wagner; Payton Smith, Bryce Lombardi (4), Jeff Stovall (6), Jason Jester (7) and Nathan Zavos; W — Stovall (5-0); L — Malone (1-2); S — Jester (14). 2B — A: Michael Ruiz; ET: Kash Kalkowski, Justin Wall.