It was one for the ages, Torres dominates

Gaona goes yard, Villalobos clutch, Panthers claw out one run win

A.D. Ibarra

-San Antonio

It was truly one for the ages.  On one side, the O'Connor Panthers scratch out three runs in the third, two of them earned, on four hits, but Eagle ace Devon Torres would buckle down like the true warrior he has been, the stalwart of the Eagle pitching staff who left it all on the field to hold off the Panther rally with men on second and third to get out of the inning when Juan Lopez made a play to get us out of the nightmarish third.

O'Connor Panther pitcher Justin Garcia who knocked off district champion Laredo United last week did not manage one strikeout throughout the contest, however, what the Panthers did have were some outstanding defensive plays which were indicative of the level of play you need to have in a one game series for the right to go to the hallowed grounds of the State Baseball Tournament in Austin.

But the Eagles did not stay behind in this department as #19 Eric Gonzalez made play after play at the shortstop position, but the gem of the evening was RJ3, Eagle second baseman RJ Ruiz who made a major league play on a ball hit to his right, his FAR right making the grab and immediately skying into the air in order to have the leverage to make a fabulous throw to big Mando Lopez at first for the amazing 4-3 putout.

Eagle Pass, Texas, May 28, 2013— In response to the ongoing drought in Maverick County, the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is offering additional funding for agriculture operators in the county wishing to address plant health conditions on their land through the agency’s Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). 

“With so much of the area suffering from a lack of rainfall, this funding will help farmers and ranchers apply conservation practices to reduce the impacts of drought, while improving soil health and productivity,” says Maverick County NRCS District Conservationist Serafin M. Aguirre.

Through this additional EQIP funding, the NRCS will work with landowners in providing assistance to establish and improve plant health on their private lands. Applications will be accepted in NRCS field offices until June 14. Funding priority will target 129 counties, including Maverick County, which are designated as extreme drought (D3) or exceptional drought (D4), according to the current US Drought Monitor map. Priority counties will be adjusted as the drought changes. 

Aguirre suggests that landowners visit the NRCS field office for a free consultation and to develop a conservation plan, which is an effective management strategy for pasture and rangeland recovery, along with helping mitigate  the effects of Texas’ current drought conditions. 

Interested landowners should contact the local NRCS or Soil and Water Conservation District in Eagle Pass at(830) 773-2518. USDA Service center locations and program information can be found on the Texas NRCS Web site at www.tx.nrcs.usda.gov.

By Rey Sifuentes Jr. (May 25, 2013)      

     A mere 12 hours after winning game one at the wee hours of Saturday morning, Eagle Pass High School’s baseball team completed its two-game sweep over San Antonio Johnson by edging the Jaguars 8-7 during game two held in Alice early Saturday afternoon. 
     Both teams were previously scheduled to split their best of three games Region IV semifinal playoff series between Eagle Pass (on Friday) and San Antonio (Saturday), but heavy rains forced them to instead meet in Alice in an opening game which began at 11:30 p.m. on Friday night.