Month: May 2019

by Evan Ren

GAME STORY: Wylie’s remarkable postseason run stops at a loaded Colony (w/ box score and photo gallery)

GRAFORD — The longer a playoff run continues, the higher the likelihood of running into a softball team that is “loaded.” 

 The remarkable postseason journey of the 2019 Wylie Lady Bulldogs (19-17) closed on that note, falling in a two-game regional semifinal sweep to sixth-ranked Lewisville The Colony — capped with a 12-5 loss in Game 2 on Friday at Graford. 

The loss closed the books on a Wylie campaign that saw the Lady Bulldogs push to within one round of the regional championship series in their first-ever season at the 5A level. 

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by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: Albany sweeps district rival Haskell in regional quarterfinals

Albany leadoff hitter B.J. Morris safely reached base in his first seven plate appearances on Thursday night and led the Lions to a Region I-2A quarterfinal sweep over Haskell with 15-1 and 6-3 wins at McMurry’s Walt Driggers Field.

The sweep propelled Albany into the regional semifinals against the winner of the Hale Center-Gruver series.

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by Evan Ren

GAME STORY: Buckaroos edge Holliday in Game 1 thriller (w/ box score, two videos and photo gallery)

GRAHAM — An 18-game winning streak came within an eyelash of ending on Thursday, as the Breckenridge Buckaroos rallied from a 3-1 deficit with a five-run fifth in a nail-biting 6-5 Region I-3A quarterfinal win over Holliday. 

Justin Bell drove in Gerardo Palacios  and Aaryn Medina with a two-out single in fifth to lift the Buckaroos (31-2), who can push their winning streak to 20 games and clinch the best-of-three series if they win Game 2 on Friday at 5:30 p.m. at Graham’s Steer Stadium. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: The Colony rides two-out magic to Game 1 win over Wylie

GRAFORD — No. 6 Lewisville The Colony capitalized on its scoring chances Thursday and Wylie couldn’t. In the end, that was the difference in a 7-1 victory for the Lady Cougars in Game 1 of a best-of-three Region I-5A semifinal softball series.

The Colony (37-3) scored all seven of its runs with two outs, including four unearned runs in the second inning, while Wylie came up empty on a bases-loaded, no-outs situation with a chance to get back into the game in the fifth.

That proved to be the Lady Bulldogs’ best opportunity the rest of the way as The Colony pitcher Karly Charles roped a two-run home run in the bottom of that same inning to push a five-run lead to seven runs and effectively put the game away.

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by Daniel Youngblood

FEATURE: Wylie softball embracing underdog role in I-5A semifinal series against The Colony

The Wylie Lady Bulldogs are no strangers to the underdog role. They’ve been playing it most of this season.

That was true during District 4-5A play, which saw Wylie rebound from a 13-3 loss at Aledo to win its next seven league games.

And it was true in each of the Lady Bulldogs’ first three playoff series — wins over quality teams from Canyon Randall (18-16), El Paso Eastwood (25-8-1) and Lubbock Coronado (28-11).

So if you think coach Heather Collier’s team will be overwhelmed or intimidated by a Region I-5A semifinal matchup with No. 6 Lewisville The Colony (36-3), you can think again. The Lady Bulldogs have a healthy respect for the Lady Cougars and all they’ve accomplished this year, but they’ve accomplished too much themselves to fear anyone.

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by Evan Ren

FEATURE: Albany benefiting from latest West installment

Two of his three older brothers — Gus and Ligon — have helped pitch the Stamford Bulldogs into the state tournament in recent years. 

So it may come as no surprise that 17-year-old Albany junior Ben West has made a splash this season as one of the top small-school pitchers in the Big Country. 

The only difference is, this particular West model will be sporting red, rather than blue, when Albany and Haskell meet in a three-game regional quarterfinal series, beginning at 4 p.m. on Thursday at McMurry. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

BCP Podcast No. 46: Evan, Daniel catch up with Gorman softball coach Guthery

Gorman softball coach Nick Guthery has led the Lady Panthers to a 26-0 record this season and has his team one win away from its first state tournament appearance in school history.

Earlier this week, Guthery took some time to chat with Big Country Preps’ Evan Ren and Daniel Youngblood about the run his team is on, his Region II-1A opponent, Dodd City, and the program he’s built for this week’s Capital Farm Credit Wednesday Podcast.

Also on this week’s episode, Evan and Daniel recap last week’s baseball and softball playoff action and take a look forward to this weekend’s top matchups.

by Evan Ren

FEATURE: Buckaroos enter uncharted territory, keeping things simple

BRECKENRIDGE — First-year Breckenridge baseball coach Kevin Bartley is getting a major-league lesson in multi-tasking. 

At present, his Buckaroos are facing a dangerous Holliday team (23-8-2) in the Region I-3A quarterfinals — the biggest postseason challenge his club has faced on its journey to winning the first area baseball championship in school history.

If the Bucks survive the current round, the bar only gets higher — with possible matchups against top-ranked Wall, Clyde or a rematch with district mate Brock among others to prepare for.

All this, while trying to keep everyone on his team on an even keel in a sports-crazy town that can provide plenty of its own distractions. 

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by Mike Lee, Special to Big Country Preps

FEATURE: Dominant pitching a big reason for Wall’s No. 1 ranking

Photos courtesy of Stephanie Weishuhn

Most Class 3A baseball teams hope to have one or two starting pitchers who can consistently shut down opponents.

Wall has five pitchers with earned run averages of 0.60 or less, and it’s not like the undefeated Hawks have played a weak schedule. Their nondistrict victims include Class 6A Odessa High and 4A opponents Pecos, Andrews, Seminole, Dumas, Lubbock Estacado, Lamesa and Snyder.

It’s no wonder Wall is 31-0 and has been ranked No. 1 in 3A in the Texas Association of Baseball Coaches poll since the first week of April. Wall will face Alpine in the regional quarterfinals at 6 p.m. Friday and noon Saturday in a best-of-three series scheduled for Christensen Stadium in Midland.

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by Evan Ren

Big Country Preps Player of the Week: Tomlinson takes our final award for 2018-19

After a disappointing finish in the high jump Friday morning as the defending champion in that event, Early’s Trinity Tomlinson had one chance at redemption at the state track meet in the 100-meter hurdles. 

She cashed in on the opportunity, finishing in 14.93 seconds to take gold. In doing so, she also earned our final Big Country Preps Player of the Week for the 2018-19 school year. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

SERIES RECAP: Bel Air sweeps Wylie, ends Bulldogs’ season in area round

FORT STOCKTON — El Paso Bel Air ended the Wylie baseball season Saturday, following Friday’s 7-3 win with a 4-3 walk-off victory to sweep the Region I-5A area-round series between the two clubs.

After the Bulldogs had extended the game with a game-tying solo home run by Kanon Doby in the top of the seventh, the Highlanders mounted a game-winning rally in the bottom, getting a one-out triple from Gabriel Torres, who came home shortly after on a wild pitch.

That capped a tough series for Wylie in which the Bulldogs never led.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Wylie softball rallies past Coronado, advances to I-5A semis

HERMLEIGH — Just as they had in their first two playoff series, the Wylie Lady Bulldogs found themselves down in the seventh inning of Game 2 on Saturday against Lubbock Coronado.

And just as they had in their two previous series, the Lady Bulldogs dug deep and found a way.

Down to its final three outs after dropping Game 1 of the Region I-5A quarterfinal series on Friday, coach Heather Collier’s team rallied for six runs to turn a 4-2 deficit into an 8-4 victory in Game 2 and followed that with a 10-7 win in the deciding third game to beat Coronado two games to one and advance to the region semifinals next week.

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by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: Stamford unable to overcome hitting woes in loss to Windthorst

Citlaly Gutierrez put the Stamford softball team on her back Saturday morning, but it wasn’t enough as the Lady Bulldogs dropped Game 3 of their Region I-2A quarterfinal matchup with Windthorst 4-2 at ACU’s Wells Field.

Gutierrez went 2-for-3 at the plate with a home run and drew a walk while scattering six hits and striking 13. She threw 130 pitches and started off 27 of 33 batters with a strike.

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by Brandon McAuliffe

SIDEBAR: Clyde softball driven to repeat 2018’s success

After falling in the regional final last year to Brock, the Clyde softball team has had one goal in mind for the 2019 season — make it back to the final.

The Lady Bulldogs took the next step on Saturday as they finished off a two-game sweep of Eastland in the Region I-3A quarterfinal to setup a date with District 1-3A champion Bushland next week.

The disappointment of last spring’s run ending just shy of a state tournament berth pushed Clyde through the offseason and during the 2019 spring.

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by Evan Ren

GAME STORY: Clyde closes out Eastland with 5-2 win (w/ box score, two videos and photo gallery)

With Eastland only a week removed from a come-from-behind series win over Peaster, the Clyde Lady Bulldogs were anticipating a difficult Game 2 hurdle in their Region I-3A quarterfinal with the Lady Mavs on Saturday. 

They got it.

But with an ample serving of help from junior pitcher Kaitlyn Turner, the Lady Bulldogs rallied from an early deficit to clinch the series with a 5-2 win at ACU’s Wells Field. 

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by Evan Ren

GAME STORY: Clyde takes Game 1 from Eastland 9-4

The old adage that good pitching stops good hitting doesn’t always hold true. 

The ninth-ranked Clyde Lady Bulldogs gave an example of this on Friday, handing No. 7 Eastland and ace pitcher Brynna Foster a 9-4 loss at ACU’s Poly Wells Field. 

Jacie Roberts was 3 for 4 with a double, a triple and four RBIs, and Brooke Widener was 2 for 4 with two RBIs to lead Clyde (28-5), which held off an Eastland rally after building an 8-0 lead by the fifth inning.  

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by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: No. 7 ranked Breckenridge sweeps Anson

Breckenridge’s Owen Woodward had a walk-off three-run home run for a 12-2 win over Anson on Friday night at ACU’s Crutcher Scott Field in the first game of a best-of-three Region I-3A baseball series.

“It felt pretty good,” Woodward said. “It helped us roll into the second win.”

The Buckaroos then finished off the sweep with a 13-1 win in the nightcap to advance to face Holliday, which swept Jim Ned on Friday.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Coronado catches fire late to snap Wylie’s 11-game win streak

HERMLEIGH — Kaylee Philipp and Bailey Buck sparked a two-run rally to pull Wylie even with Lubbock Coronado after five innings Friday, but the Lady Mustangs erupted for five runs in the seventh to take a 7-2 win over the Lady Bulldogs in Game 1 of a best-of-three Region I-5A quarterfinal series.

Starting pitcher Jaci-Mia Rivera led off the top of the seventh with a double and came around to score on Riley Flores’ inside-the-park home run to make the score 4-2. Bianca Raney added an RBI single later in the inning to push Coronado’s lead to three runs, before Natalie Gomez landed the final blow in the form of a two-run double.

The loss snapped an 11-game winning streak for Wylie, which fell to 17-15 overall.

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by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: Brownwood pummels Midland Greenwood, advances in baseball postseason

The Brownwood baseball team advanced to the third round of the postseason with a pair of decisive wins over Midland Greenwood on Friday afternoon at ACU’s Crutcher Scott Field.

The Lions posted wins of 12-0 and 15-3 to win the best-of-three Region I-4A area-round series and earn a date with the winner of the Argyle-Graham series that also saw its first two games being contested Friday.

Argyle is the top-ranked team in the state.

Continue reading “GAME STORY: Brownwood pummels Midland Greenwood, advances in baseball postseason” →

by Daniel Youngblood

FEATURE: Seniors providing strong, steady leadership for young Bulldog squad

With eight sophomores and and two freshmen on its roster, many of whom have been pressed into playing time in prominent roles, the Wylie baseball team was always destined to experience some growing pains in 2019.

That’s the nature of the beast when you have a pitching staff comprised primarily of underclassmen and have a third of your lineup on any given day filled by freshmen or sophomores.

And yet, the Bulldogs entered the playoffs as District 4-5A’s No. 1 seed and brought a 17-8 overall record into this weekend’s Region I-5A area-round series with El Paso Bel Air.

That level of success, while surprising to some perhaps, hasn’t shocked Wylie coach Clay Martin. That’s because as young as his team is, it’s been blessed with a core of seniors that have provided the steady production and leadership necessary to weather any storms that have come.

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by Evan Ren

State Track meet updates Day 1 and Day 2 (updates throughout the day)

Check throughout the day for updates on how our Big Country track athletes are performing at the UIL State Track meet in Austin. 

BIG COUNTRY MEDALISTS 

DAY 2

— Emily Garcia of Forsan claimed bronze in the girls 2A 200 meters in 25.8 behind Refugio’s Alexa Valenzuela (25.1) and Panhandle’s Maklynn Land (25.6). 

— Brownwood’s AJ McCarty took gold in the boys 4A triple jump at 47-06. 

— Goldthwaite’s Kylee Medina has taken silver in the 2A girls 3,200 meters in 11:46.55, behind Lindsay’s Allison Hedrick (11:38.43). 

— Kyle Lindsey of Stephenville earned the gold medal in the boys 4A high jump with a leap of 6-10.25.

— Haskell’s Lanayah Green, Kara Stout, Kobie Walker and Tyreona Amos took Bronze in the 2A girls 800 relay behind San Augustine (1:43.90) and Sunray (1:43.78). 

Continue reading “State Track meet updates Day 1 and Day 2 (updates throughout the day)” →

by Daniel Youngblood

FEATURE: Confidence key to Lady Bulldogs’ run, continued playoff success

If you were to ask Wylie softball coach Heather Collier and her players what has been the biggest driving force behind the Lady Bulldogs’ current 11-game winning streak, you’d hear one word pop up more than any other: Confidence.

The biggest difference between the team that started the season 3-10 and the one preparing for this weekend’s Region I-5A quarterfinal series against Lubbock Coronado isn’t physical, the Lady Bulldogs will tell you. It’s mental.

Wylie, which is now 17-14, has a belief and mental toughness now it simply didn’t possess early in the season. And the improved results are a direct result of that fact.

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by Evan Ren

GAME STORY: Ira, Valentine, hold on to top Baird, 3-2 in Game 1 (w/ two videos and box score; photo gallery to come late tonight)

Through an afternoon of double plays, pickoffs and outfield blunders, it all boiled down to the last out in Ira’s 3-2 Class 1A area-round win over Baird on Thursday at Abilene Christian University’s Crutcher Scott Field.

Karson Valentine scattered eight Baird hits through seven innings to pick up the win, striking out Nate Deel for the final out with the potential tying run — Kollin Davis — at third.

Fanning 10 and walking none, Valentine allowed no earned runs while outdueling Baird’s Jax Bellar, who allowed three runs (two earned) on eight hits.

Valentine wriggled out of some late trouble with the game on the line, hitting Davis to start the seventh inning and allowing a two-out double by Ricardo Gonzalez to put two runners in scoring position. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: No. 1 Gorman scores 12 first-inning runs in 29-0 rout of Lipan

The top-ranked Gorman softball team eliminated all suspense early in Thursday’s Region II-1A semifinal matchup with Lipan, scoring 12 first-inning runs on its way to a 29-0 rout in the one-game playoff at Abilene Christian University’s Wells Field.

The unbeaten Lady Panthers pounded out 24 hits and took advantage of 15 Lipan errors in cruising to their 26th victory of the season and into the regional championship game, where they’ll face the winner of Friday’s semifinal between No. 10 Dodd City and Ector.

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by Evan Ren

FEATURE: Ellett finishing the way she started — challenging hitters

Hard curveballs and hard riseballs — most of which are up in the zone, perilously close to a hitter’s wheelhouse.

For much of her high school career, Brownwood ace Chyanne Ellett has lived in that danger zone, matching power against power, thrown at an elevation where hitters tend to like it most. 

In short, she’s good enough to do it — with velocity in the mid-60s, good movement and a knee-buckling changeup, just to keep everyone honest. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

BCP Podcast No. 45: Evan, Daniel talk baseball with Clyde coach Rowley

Clyde baseball coach Colby Rowley has consistently fielded a strong product during his nine years coaching for his alma mater, and things are no different this season. His Bulldogs are currently 24-6 and slated to take on Bowie this weekend in the area round of the Class 3A playoffs.

Earlier this week, Rowley took a few minutes to chat with Big Country Preps’ Evan Ren and Daniel Youngblood about this year’s team, his time at Clyde and more for this week’s Capital Farm Credit Wednesday Night Podcast.

Also on this week’s episode, Evan and Daniel recap last week’s baseball and softball playoff action and forecast this week’s slate of games.

by Mike Lee, Special to Big Country Preps

FEATURE Gorman’s Guthery: Being 25-0 feels ‘awkward’ (photos courtesy of Jennifer Overstreet)

Caitlyn Clark has pitched through tendinitis this season.

Nick Guthery had to talk girls into playing softball when he became the Gorman coach in 2011. Nine years later, his Lady Panthers are 25-0 and ranked No. 1 in the state entering the Class 1A regional semifinals.

“I have to admit. It feels a little awkward,” Guthery said after Gorman, No. 1 in Class 1A in the Texas Girls Coaches Association poll, beat No. 5 Perrin-Whitt 6-1 in Thursday’s regional quarterfinals. “We’ve been undefeated in district before, but we’ve never been this far along and not lost a game.

“We don’t see ourselves as undefeated. We just play it a game at a time and move on to the next one. Most people think I should be pumped up about being undefeated. And I am, but we don’t dwell on it because we know we can be beaten on any day.”

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by Evan Ren

Big Country Preps Player of the Week: Haskell’s Rodriguez goes yard four times to take award

Back in the old days, Atlanta’s Fulton County Stadium, home of the Atlanta Braves until the late 1990s, was commonly referred to as “The Launching Pad.”  

I submit to you that since that facility was demoed in 1997, the nickname is now free game and applicable wherever we may choose to use it. 

I choose to apply it to Hermleigh’s beautiful, but not exactly pitcher-friendly softball complex, where our Big Country Preps Player of the Week, Haskell’s Ryanna Rodriguez, put on such a dazzling hitting display. So dazzling that she even eclipsed a no-hitter for our top spot. 

Keep in mind, Rodriguez hadn’t homered all season prior to last week’s area-round series with Winters. But with a strong wind blowing to left-center at The Launching Pad, Rodriguez was transformed into Hank Aaron. 

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by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: Anson outlasts Early in extra innings to advance

It took parts of four days, but the Anson baseball team is moving on to the area round of the Region I-3A playoffs after a comeback in their best-of-three bi-district series with Early.

After taking the second game 15-10 at Abilene Christian University’s Crutcher Scott Field, the Tigers outlasted the Longhorns 7-6 in nine innings in the deciding game to take a 2-1 series win.

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by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: Big Spring softball advances past Glen Rose

The Big Spring softball team notched a 20-win season on Saturday with a 4-1 win over Glen Rose in a Region I-4A area round matchup at Abilene Christian University in the deciding game of their best-of-three series.

Glen Rose held off a Lady Steers rally in Game 2 for a 6-5 win that forced the winner-take-all situation.

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by Evan Ren

GAME STORY: Brock sweeps Early, advances to regional quarterfinals (w/ box score and videos)

 

GLEN ROSE — It isn’t often that a team can yield 10 walks and commit three errors, yet still win by 14 runs. 

But the Brock Lady Eagles found abundant compensation on Saturday, eliminating the Early Lady Longhorns 22-8 at Glen Rose High School. 

The answer: solid contact from start to finish, coupled with eight Early errors that saw BHS gradually build an upper hand that was insurmountable. 

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by Evan Ren

GAME STORY: Eastland girls rebound to eliminate Peaster (w/ video, box scores; photo gallery to come late tonight)

GLEN ROSE — A day removed from an 8-3 beating at the hands of Peaster in Game 1 of a Region I-3A area-round series, the Eastland Lady Mavericks were faced with two options on Saturday: either find away to stage a remarkable turnaround or begin their offseason in early May. 

Somehow, EHS managed the former — not once, but twice in a sweep of Games 2 and 3 on Saturday at Glen Rose High School. 

Brynna Foster tossed a total of 17 innings and earned two complete-game victories to lead the Lady Mavs, who topped Peaster 2-1 in 10 innings to tie the series and 3-2 in Game 3 to end it. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Wylie walks off in Game 3 to cap thrilling series against Lubbock Cooper

After playing a one-run game in Friday’s series opener in Lubbock, the Wylie and Lubbock Cooper baseball teams needed 15 innings Saturday to decide which of the two teams would advance to next week’s area round.

And in a fashion befitting what was a thrilling series from start to finish, that determination wasn’t made until the final pitch.

Wylie, an 8-7 winner on Friday, bounced back from a 3-1 loss in Game 2 on Saturday to claim a 5-4 walk-off win in the deciding third game and extend its season at least one more week.

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by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: Jim Ned blasts Eastland 11-1 in Game 3

Ryan Lewis didn’t realize the train that goes through Tuscola passes by on average every 30 minutes during the night.

If he did, the Jim Ned baseball coach might not have slept at the fieldhouse after getting back from the Indians 10-4 Game 2 Region I-3A bi-district loss to Eastland at 1:30 a.m. in a best-of-three series.

The Indians had a short turnaround with the deciding game being at 10:30 Saturday morning at Abilene Christian University’s Crutcher Scott Field, but the lack of sleep didn’t hurt them as they used eight stolen bases and a stellar pitching performance from Kade Frazier for an 11-1 win.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Wylie holds off Lubbock Cooper for 8-7 win in Game 1

LUBBOCK — A couple of big innings was all it took for the Wylie baseball team to score a playoff-opening win over Lubbock Cooper on Friday in a game that saw its start delayed three hours by lightning.

The Bulldogs plated three runs in the first inning and answered a four-run Cooper fourth with five in the sixth before holding off a late Pirate rally for a gutsy 8-7 victory in Game 1 of the best-of-three bi-district series.

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