Here are the Big Country baseball playoff roundups for this week.
REGION I-5A
Wylie vs. Argyle: Locked in a 1-0 game through three innings, Wylie saw Argyle explode for 11 runs in the fourth inning as the Eagles claimed a 12-0 run-rule victory in the series opener. Colton Roquemore’s three-run double was the key hit in the big inning and was the only extra-base hit in the frame. Argyle tagged Brady Gay for five hits and seven runs (six earned) while drawing four walks and only striking out three times against him in 3.2 innings. The Eagles roughed up the Bulldogs bullpen with six hits and five runs off three different relievers in 1.1 innings. Click here to read Daniel Youngblood’s story on Argyle’s Game 2 win.
REGION I-4A
Stephenville vs. Seminole: Click here to read Evan Ren’s story on Game 1. Click here to read Brandon McAuliffe’s story on Game 2.
REGION I-3A
Brock vs. Lubbock Cooper Liberty: The Eagles ran their winning streak to 19 games by routing the Patriots 12-2 and 19-1 on Thursday. Sawyer Strosnider continued his torrid postseason by hitting for the cycle in Game 1, highlighted by a two-run home run in the fourth inning that put the Eagles on top 9-0. Five players in the Brock startling lineup had multi-hit games. Cam Harris added a two-run inside-the-park home run in the third inning, while Jesse Rusinek matched that with his own inside-the-park home run in the fifth inning. The Eagles quickly erased any thoughts the Patriots had of forcing a deciding third game by scoring all of their runs in the first two innings of Game 2. Brock opened with an eight-run first before tacking on its final 11 runs in the second. Braeden Ray drove in four runs in the win, Canon Lightfoot had three RBIs and five other members of the Brock lineup drove in runs as well. The Eagles had eight doubles in the Game 2 win.
REGION I-2A
Stamford vs. New Home: Click here to read Daniel Youngblood’s story on Game 1. In Game 2, New Home tagged Alek Hernandez and Caden Moreno for eight runs in the first inning and the Bulldogs were never able to dig out of the early hole in a 9-3 loss. Ryder Starkey, who had the game-winning three-run home run in the ninth inning of the opening game, notched his second long ball of the series as the second batter of Game 2 for a 2-0 lead. Moreno, who allowed just two unearned runs, went 4.1 innings in relief of Hernandez and allowed just one hit while striking out six.
Hawley vs. Ropesville Ropes: The Bearcats are on a 10-game winning streak dating back to mid-April after dispatching of the Eagles with 6-3 and 14-3 wins on Thursday. Westyn Balch, who entered the series with 45 strikeouts in 19 innings of work this postseason, added 14 more strikeouts to his ledger while throwing a complete game in the series opener. Balch allowed seven hits in the win, three of which came in the seventh inning, as he made the most of a Bearcat offense that struggled to put together a big offensive inning. The offense came alive in the clinching game with nine runs in the top of the first, ensuring Creed Ernst would have a stress-free outing on the mound. Alek Southerland had a big game at the plate, going 4 for 4 with a double and three RBIs. Ernst needed just 72 pitches for his six-inning complete game, as he pitched to contact. Ropes had 11 hits off Ernst but managed just three runs, scoring one in the first, second and sixth innings.
REGION II-2A
Ira vs. Morton: The Bulldogs became the first team from the Big Country to earn a trip to the state tournament with an 11-1 win over Morton on Friday. Jeren Peña dominated the Indians on the mound and at the plate. Peña finished a triple shy of the cycle on offense while pitching a complete-game one-hitter with 10 strikeouts. Peña had an inside-the-park home run leading off the bottom of the first inning to tie the game and jump start the Bulldog offense. The game was still tied 1-1 going into the bottom half of the third inning when Ira exploded for four runs, two of which came home on an error by Morton. Kaden Castillo’s two-run double in the fourth