A.D. Ibarra

-San Antonio, TX

Believe it or not, in a shootout of epic proportions, the Eagle Pass Eagles had to resort to small ball to get the winning run over against a Mission Sharyland squad loaded with experience and sheer talent who came back from a three run deficit to take the lead in the 4th inning and Reynol Mendoza and his team had to find a way to manufacture two runs in the final frames to tie the game and send this thing into extra innings.  

This is how it all went down at Tejada Field of the Harlandale ISD, a park well known to the Eagle Pass Eagles.

The Eagles had six consecutive hits against Rattler star Tres Barrera who had definitely made his mark on this game hitting and driving in runs as well as taking the mound against his father's ex team.

The Rattlers had scored one in the first and three in the third to take a 4-1 lead against Devon Torres and the Eagle Pass Eagles but the wheels came off the cart in the third when Torres himself opened up the bottom of the third with a hit, then Diego Gaona followed suit with a single of his own.

Mando Lopez, the fabulous freshman who has come through against EP's most formidable opponents, came through with an RBI single with a good job of hitting according to Morris Libson as Lopez took an outside pitch, went with it and drove it into right, then Juan Lopez did the same.  Eagle second baseman RJ Ruiz also came through against Barrera with another RBI hit, then following another hit by Javy Cardona, Barrera was replaced by Pancho Martinez who proceeded to strikeout the next two Eagle hitters.  Martinez threw a gem of a game after this, as did Gilbert Villalobos in relief of Torres later in the game.  

Martinez pitched well, but not before big #19, Eric Gonzalez, wearing the number well and lighting up the scoreboard with a two RBI single to close out the Eagle rally of six runs on eight hits, as the Rattlers played relatively error-free ball throughout the game, but one costly error would be the difference in a later inning, and according to Eagle Pass Sports Central's Conrado Perez should have sealed the deal for the Eagles, but the dreaded walk came out to haunt Torres and the Eagles in the fourth when the Rattlers came across with five to answer the Eagles rally in the formidable, never-say-die manner they've been known for.

The Eagles come up empty against Martinez then in the top of the fifth, Villalobos gets him to ground out to Eric Gonzalez at short, then Jacoup Roiz snags a fly ball off the bat of Jorge Maldonado.  Tres Barrera lines out to Gonzalez for out number three.

Cardona would have a good at bat, taking Martinez to a full count before grounding out to Barrera at short.  Roiz grounds out to third and Villalobos grounds out to Barrera to end the inning.

Villalobos gets Luis Treviño swinging, then faced Jerry Esquivel who was 2 for 3 and drew a walk putting a runner on first, then Lance Madden gets on on a fielder's choice when Villalobos throws to Gonzalez for the second out, Madden steals second, but Gonzalez, who was playing hurt, came through and got the next batter at first for out number three.

The Eagles came up empty in the fifth, then in the sixth, Juan Lopez gets Mario Vela on the drag bunt attempt followed by a strikeout by Villalobos.  Then Pancho Martinez was first pitch hitting with a base hit to left, but Maldonado grounds out to short to end the inning.

Mando Lopez doubles to right to go 4 for 4 with the stand up double!  Juan Lopez earned his way on after getting hit in the head, Olexis Gutierrez comes in to run, then RJ Ruiz gets a bunt single that gets past Martinez to load up the bases with no outs. then the only error of the game for Sharyland came when Jacoup Roiz hits a grounder to the second baseman and Ruiz slides into the shortstop Barrera to break up the double play.  The errant throw that sails over the head of the first baseman allows two runs to score in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game!  Both the Sharyland coach and Barrera are ejected from the game for arguing interference on the play.

Villalobos hits Rudy Torres, the sub for Barrera, then the next batter grounds into a double play but the throw is low at first.

Madden grounds out to Villalobos and Venegas grounds out to Gonzalez for the third out.

In the bottom of the eighth, the gutsy Eric Gonzalez opens it up with a double, Alex Martinez comes in to run, Devon Torres bunts him to third, then the Rattlers intentionally walk both Gaona and Lopez, loading the bases when RJ Ruiz hits what seems to be a foul to right, but a balk on Martinez, who didn't stop in his windup, allows the winning run to score and the Eagles are en route to the Regional Semi Finals against San Antonio LBJ.

AUSTIN, TEXAS, May 16, 2013 --The Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) unanimously approved May 9 an application by Electric Transmission Texas, LLC (ETT) for a Certificate of Convenience and Necessity (CCN) to build a 345-kV transmission line from the Laredo area into the Rio Grande Valley.

The transmission project includes construction of approximately 156 miles of 345-kV transmission lines that will connect ETT’s Lobo Substation near Laredo with substations north of Edinburg and will add two new substations along the line route. The cost of the project is estimated at approximately $318 million.

In approving the CCN application, the PUCT also approved a unanimous settlement with nearly 100 landowners along the route, the PUCT staff and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. The new transmission line from the Laredo to the Edinburg area will cross portions of Webb, Zapata, Starr and Hidalgo counties. ETT plans to construct the transmission line on steel single-pole structures, an approach overwhelmingly supported by landowners.

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) determined Oct. 11, 2011, that the project is critical for the reliability of the ERCOT system and, specifically, the Lower Rio Grande Valley. Currently, there are only two 345-kV transmission lines serving the Valley. Both of the existing lines import power from the Corpus Christi area and run parallel to the Gulf Coast, which means both are vulnerable to hurricanes and other severe weather. Work to upgrade those two lines already is underway and should be complete this summer.

“I am very pleased that so many groups were able to reach the unanimous settlement regarding the route,” said ETT President Calvin Crowder. “Approval of the
CCN is a significant step to ensuring continued transmission reliability in the Rio Grande Valley and Laredo areas. We now will begin right-of-way acquisition and detailed engineering for the project, with actual construction anticipated to begin in 2014. Area residents will begin enjoying the benefits of the project in 2016.”

ETT is a joint venture between subsidiaries of American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP) and MidAmerican Energy Holdings Company. The joint venture acquires, constructs, owns and operates transmission facilities within ERCOT, primarily in and around the AEP Texas Central Company and AEP Texas North Company service territories.

AEP, headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, is one of the largest electric utilities in the United States, delivering electricity to more than 5.3 million customers in 11 states. AEP (www.aep.com) has extensive experience building extra-high-voltage 765-kV transmission lines and owns the nation’s largest electricity transmission system, a nearly 40,000-mile network that includes 2,100 miles of 765-kV transmission lines, more than all other U.S. transmission systems combined. AEP’s transmission system directly or indirectly serves about 10 percent of the electricity demand in the Eastern Interconnection, the interconnected transmission system that covers 38 eastern and central U.S. states and eastern Canada, and approximately 11 percent of the electricity demand in ERCOT, the transmission system that covers much of Texas.

MidAmerican Energy Holdings Company provides electric and natural gas service to more than 7 million customers worldwide, operates an extensive 18,000-mile electric transmission system, a natural gas local distribution system, and interstate natural gas pipeline systems totaling nearly 17,000 miles. Learn more at www.midamerican.com.
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This report made by American Electric Power and its Registrant Subsidiaries contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Although AEP and each of its Registrant Subsidiaries believe that their expectations are based on reasonable assumptions, any such statements may be influenced by factors that could cause actual outcomes and results to be materially different from those projected. Among the factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements are: the economic climate, growth or contraction within and changes in market demand and demographic patterns in AEP’s service territory; inflationary or deflationary interest rate trends; volatility in the financial markets, particularly developments affecting the availability of capital on reasonable terms and developments impairing AEP’s ability to finance new capital projects and refinance existing debt at attractive rates; the availability and cost of funds to finance working capital and capital needs, particularly during periods when the time lag between incurring costs and recovery is long and the costs are material; electric load, customer growth and the impact of retail competition, particularly in Ohio; weather conditions, including storms and drought conditions, and AEP’s ability to recover significant storm restoration costs through applicable rate mechanisms; available sources and costs of, and transportation for, fuels and the creditworthiness and performance of fuel suppliers and transporters; availability of necessary generating capacity and the performance of AEP’s generating plants; AEP’s ability to recover increases in fuel and other energy costs through regulated or competitive electric rates; AEP’s ability to build or acquire generating capacity and transmission lines and facilities (including the ability to obtain any necessary regulatory approvals and permits) when needed at acceptable prices and terms and to recover those costs (including the costs of projects that are cancelled) through applicable rate cases or competitive rates; new legislation, litigation and government regulation, including oversight of nuclear generation, energy commodity trading and new or heightened requirements for reduced emissions of sulfur, nitrogen, mercury, carbon, soot or particulate matter and other substances, or additional regulation of fly ash and similar combustion products that could impact the continued operation and cost recovery of AEP’s plants and related assets; evolving public perception of the risks associated with fuels used before, during and after the generation of electricity, including nuclear fuel; a reduction in the federal statutory
tax rate that could result in an accelerated return of deferred federal income taxes to customers; timing and resolution of pending and future rate cases, negotiations and other regulatory decisions, including rate or other recovery of new investments in generation, distribution and transmission service and environmental compliance; resolution of litigation; AEP’s ability to constrain operation and maintenance costs; AEP’s ability to develop and execute a strategy based on a view regarding prices of electricity, coal, natural gas and other energy-related commodities; prices and demand for power that AEP generates and sells at wholesale; changes in technology, particularly with respect to new, developing or alternative sources of generation; AEP’s ability to recover through rates or market prices any remaining unrecovered investment in generating units that may be retired before the end of their previously projected useful lives; volatility and changes in markets for electricity, coal, natural gas and other energy-related commodities; changes in utility regulation, including the implementation of Electric Security Plans and the transition to market and expected legal separation for generation in Ohio and the allocation of costs within regional transmission organizations, including PJM and SPP; AEP’s ability to successfully manage negotiations with stakeholders and obtain regulatory approval to terminate the Interconnection Agreement; changes in the creditworthiness of the counterparties with whom AEP has contractual arrangements, including participants in the energy trading market; actions of rating agencies, including changes in the ratings of AEP debt; the impact of volatility in the capital markets on the value of the investments held by AEP’s pension, other postretirement benefit plans, captive insurance entity and nuclear decommissioning trust and the impact on future funding requirements; accounting pronouncements periodically issued by accounting standard-setting bodies; and other risks and unforeseen events, including wars, the effects of terrorism (including increased security costs), embargoes, cyber security threats and other catastrophic events.