SAN ANTONIO- Joshua Ferrells threw a 5-inning no-hitter for the Pericos to highlight Thursday’s Texas Winter League action.

PERICOS 7 - APACHES 1

There have been many standout pitchers in the Texas Winter League this season, but Joshua Ferrells is rapidly becoming the cream of the crop.

Ferrells (3-0) threw a five inning no-hitter against the Apaches (3-7) and was so dominant no one hit the ball out of the infield against him. He would finish with five strikeouts.

Starting against Apaches (3-7) ace Pete Martinez, fellow left-hander Ferrells retired the first nine batters he faced to give him a streak of 22 consecutive hitters retired during his past two games.

The streak was snapped by Kori Melo, who played a cat-and-mouse game with Ferrells by stepping out of the batters box multiple times to draw a walk on a 3-2 pitch leading off the fourth. Melo, batting .433 coming into the game, would then advance around the bases on a wild pitch and two ground outs to break up the shutout.

Meanwhile Martinez (2-2) struggled with control during his three innings on the mound, walking five batters. The Pericos (6-4-2) touched him for a run in the top of the second when it appeared Martinez could survive walking the first two hitters he faced by retiring the next two batters he faced, but first baseman Jacob Fabry dropped a pop up off the bat of David Peterson and Martinez then threw a wild pitch that allowed Matt Garza to score the game’s first run.

Martinez, who was not expecting to pitch until Saturday, then allowed six runs in the third by allowing the first seven batters he faced to reach base safely on three walks, three hits, and a fielder’s choice. R.J. Perucki and Andrew Mulato both had 2-run hits while catcher Thomas Shull drove in another when he hit a ground ball to shortstop Melo with runners at second and third that Melo tried to retire Mulato, the runner on second base, on, but the Pericos’ left field was able to avoid a run down and slid under Martinez’s tag at third base. Koya Iwasaki followed with a sacrifice fly to drive in Mulato for the Parakeets’ final run.

But the story was Ferrells. Always pitching from the stretch, the Alaska native and former San Rafeal Pacific was able to induce nine batters to ground out and only Kinnosuke Kamiya to pop out to shortstop in the second inning.

Ferrells would actually record the final putout of his no-hitter, catching first baseman Peterson’s toss on Mario Apolinar’s ground out

The Apaches sent only 16 batters to the plate against Ferrells. They have lost four straight games.  

CAPITALS 5 - TEJANOS 0

On any other day, Alex Mann would have had the dominant pitching performance of the day.

Told before the game he would not be relieved, Mann (2-1), who had been touched for 14 earned runs his previous start, threw seven shutout innings, striking out 13 batters and not walking anyone while scattering four hits in the Capitals’ 5-0 victory. Mann now leads the TWL with 30 strikeouts.

He did it by overpowering many of the hitters and perhaps even his catcher with his fastball, as one of his strikeout victims, Leandro Fernandez, reached base on a pass ball.

The game was scoreless until the fourth, when Brian Haggett put the Caps (6-5-1) on top with a 2-run single off Forrest Moore. The lefty from Mississippi State was able to throw his curve for strikes and at one point retired seven batters in a row but seemed to tire as the game went on.

Still, Moore (0-3) would allow only four hits and two walks while striking out four batters in his five innings of work for the Tejanos (4-7).

The Capitals scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth off reliever Billy Pullia. Will Wurth highlighted the inning with a 2-run double before Connor Battaglia doubled in Wurth to complete the scoring.

ALAMOS 13 - WRANGLERS 7

Andrew Carmadella hit a grand slam and Hikaru Ogawa threw a five inning complete game to put the Alamos (6-3-3) in first place by a half game in the Texas Winter League.

Ogawa (1-1) gave up 10 hits and walked two batters while striking out three batters.

It was enough to keep the Wranglers at bay as the Alamos scored eight runs in the second inning off Misop Baynun (1-2), highlighted by Carmadella’s blast. Baynun returned to his wild ways by walking 10 batters in three innings while allowing seven hits and 10 runs, nine earned. He struck out two batters.

Carmadella’s homer ties him with Wranglers’ first baseman Jack Morrow for the league lead.

Other highlights came from David Peterson, who was borrowed from the Pericos due to a hamstring injury to regular Alamos catcher Ben Boykin. The San Antonio native had two hits and drove in four runs for his new team. Charles Shapiro also had three hits and both drove in and scored two runs for the victors.