GAME STORY: Rams top West Plains to reach first regional final since 1958

COLORADO CITY — After winning the flip a few days prior to the Region I-4A DI semifinal series with Canyon West Plains, Mineral Wells elected to go with a one-game, winner-take-all format and rely on Texas Tech-bound righthander Holden Hering. 

It paid off with a thrilling 3-1 win for the Rams — but not exactly as it was planned. The normally efficient Hering reached his pitch count of 110 in the top of the sixth and was switched to the outfield.

He did, however, continue his heroic effort with a massive two-run homer to dead center in the bottom of the sixth to supply the winning runs.