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Courtesy Danny Angel,

 ROBSTOWN, TX – RHP Leo Figuero made his first start of the season for the Broncos in game one of a four game set with the Coastal Bend Thunder.  Thunder leadoff man Dustin Smith reached on a Ryan Flynn error to start the game off and it was an omen of sorts to come for the Broncos in this one.   Smith stole second base and Mike Goss singled him home for a 1-0 Thunder lead. It would not stop there. Figeuro beaned Levy Venture, the third hitter and then beaned Brian Nichol. Designated hitter Manny Mejia ground into a 5-2-3 double play and when it looked like the Broncos would escape only allowing the one run. Catcher Lester Contreras came up and whacked a two out, two run single to put the Thunder up 3-0.

 The Thunder sent LHP Frank James to the mound for his first start of the 2010 season.  Through his first four innings James had faced only the minium, 12 Broncos batters. 

 In the second inning the Thunder got it going with a one out infield single by second baseman Mike Lewis.  Leadoff man Dustin Lewis then singled and with runners on first and second right fielder Mike Goss hit a two run triple to push the lead to 5-0 Thunder. Third Baseman Levy Venture followed up the triple with an RBI double and it was 6-0 Thunder.  First Baseman Brian Nichol finished the Thunder scoring for the second with an RBI single and the score after two full frames was 7-0 Thunder.

 In the Thunder half of the third Lewis reached on error by shortstop Felix Adamkiewicz and RHP Angelo Morales, who replaced Bronco starter Leo Figuero after just an inning and a third of work, plunked Dustin Smith.  Mike Goss walked to load the bases and with one out first baseman Brian Nichol hit an RBI fielder’s choice where Goss was put out at second base; the Thunder lead was now 8-0. 

 Designated hitter Manny Mejia hit next and he lined an RBI single scoring Dustin Smith who had moved to third on the fielders choice, and the score was Thunder 9, Broncos 0.

 In the top of the fifth with Morales still on the mound for the Broncos, third baseman Levy Venture walked and first baseman Brian Nichol hit a bomb to deep left center that bounced off the top of the walll and over for a two run homer and an 11-0 Thunder lead.  Nichol had four RBI in the game.

 In the top of the sixth inning the Broncos finally broke through on the Thunder.  Thunder starter James was replaced after allowing a leadoff hit to Adamkiewicz, his first of the season, a walk to Jason Diaz and after Diaz was put out at second on a Wolgamot fielders choice an RBI single by Kenneth Gilbert. Thunder lead was now 11-1.

 Ben Shockey emerged from the Thunder bullpen.  The first batter Shockey would face was catcher Luany Sanchez; he would walk. First baseman Doug Thennis would then strike out for the second out of the inning and and then Shockey would walk David Folwer to plate Wolgamot; 11-2 Thunder.  The next batter Bradley Goldsmith would reach an error by shortstop Albert Gonzalez and to plate Kennth Gilbert; 11-3 Thunder.  Third baseman Ryan Flynn was then walked by Shockey to bring in Sanchaz and Adamkiewicz took a walk to plate Fowler.  When the walk parade was over it was 11-5 Thunder. 

 The bullpen trio of Jenkins, Jamnik, and Dechristofaro would not allow a run to the Thunder in the final three frames. 

 In the top of the eigth Thennis would leadoff with another walk; in all Thunder pitching issued nine walks in the ball game; Thennis would then steal second base and after Goldsmih reached on error that moved Thennis to third Ryan Flynn hit an RBI groundout to plate the Broncos final run and close the gap to 11-6 Thunder.

 11-6 was the final after a double play ball in the ninth wiped away a leadoff walk for the Broncos.  The Broncos dropped to 0-3 on the young 2010 season while the Thunder moved to 2-1

 WP: Frank James (1-0)

LP: Leo Figeuro (0-1)

S: None

Broncos back in action for game two against the Thunder; first pitch at 6:05 PM