By Charles Dee
The Hays High Rebel baseball team cemented the District 27 4A championship with a pair of victories, 4-3 on Tuesday and 3-1 on Friday over Kerrville Tivy.
On Tuesday, the Rebs parlayed a 10 inning come-from-behind win coupled with a Seguin loss to grab the district lead.
Having given the Antlers an unearned run in the first, the Rebs’ Justin Diaz reached base on a Kerrville error. With back-to-back singles, Devin Palm and pitcher, Mike Gonzales, pushed Diaz around to even the score at one each in the second.
Gonzales ran into trouble in the Kerrville fourth when a walk, an error and a couple of Tivy singles stretched the Antler lead to 3-1. The Rebs, having struggled offensively into the 7th and still trailing by 2, got a boost when Gonzales led off with a single to right. The Rebels; consistent ability to bunt forced consecutive errors as Tivy misplayed the sacrifice bunts of Athen Schultz and Justin Montana to allow Gonzales and Schultz to again tie the game.
Trey Dickerson, after relieving Gonzales in the sixth, masterfully shut down the Antlers through the extra innings until the Rebel offense could scrape out a run.
David Riojas opened the tenth with a double to left center and dependable Devin Palm delivered another big RBI single to push the Rebs ahead.
Dickerson notched the victory in the bottom of the inning and left the Rebs atop the standings at 11-2.
On Friday, senior night at Rebel field, the Rebs rode the arm of Texas A & M signee Tyler Woodmansee to a second straight district championship for Coach David Null and his Rebels.
“Woody” dominated the Antlers; running his scoreless inning streak to 24, striking out 8 and giving up only 3 hits before an unearned run in the seventh.
The Rebel offense started early when Justin Montana used a catcher’s interference, a single by Zach Ibarra and a passed ball to post the Rebs to an early lead. The Rebs kept the pressure on in the second with a walk to Diaz, a bunt by Nate Scott and a Gonzales single moved the score to 2-0.
The fourth saw Nate Scott reach base on a fielder’s choice and progress to third on Palm’s ground rule double to left center. Schultz’s RBI single completed the scoring for the Rebs by plating Scott.
Woodmansee cruised through the final three innings and the Rebs left the diamond to the tune of district 27 4A champions.
Now 22-4, the playoffs begin at 7 p.m. May 1 at the San Antonio ISD complex against SA Burbank. The Rebels will return to Rebel Field Friday night for the second game and will play an “if necessary” game at 1 p.m Saturday at Rebel field.
