By Charles Dee.
The Rebel baseball team opened district with a pair of district wins, 15-1 and 3-2, over the Lockhart Lions in the new district format for 2014.
In the Tuesday night game at Lockhart, the visiting Rebs used four walks, two Lockhart errors and three big hits – a double by Jose Cerda and singles by Nate Scott and Athen Schultz – to open the game with eight runs.
After failing to score in the second, the Rebs followed the same recipe in the third when Scott followed a leadoff walk to Justin Montana and a single by Zach Ibarra, with a home run to left to plate three. Later in the inning, consecutive doubles by Devin Palm, Schultz and Montana added an additional four runs to push the lead to 15.
Hays’ Calvin Coker delivers a pitch in the Rebels’ mid-afternoon contest against Lockhart on Thursday. Six and a third scoreless innings from Coker helped Hays defeat the Lions 3-2. (Photo by Moses Leos III) |
Rebel senior Tyler Woodmansee continued his mound dominance holding the Lions to five hits and a lone run to move his record to 3-0 on the year. Woodmansee sports an ERA of 1.33 in his five appearances this spring.
The second game of the district doubleheader, predicated by the new format, saw the Rebs host the Lions on Thursday. In a game totally opposite to Tuesday, the Rebs held off the Lions in the seventh to claim the 3-2 victory.
Playing small ball, the Rebs scored in the first when Justin Montana walked, stole second, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a sacrifice fly by Jose Cerda.
Again in the third, Rebel fundamentals saw a sacrifice bunt by Michael Gonzales move Montana and Zach Ibarra to second and third, enabling a single by David Riojas and a sac fly by Justin Diaz to tally both runs and move the lead to 3-0.
Rebel pitcher Calvin Coker battled the Lions, holding them scoreless through six and a third, particularly in the third when Coker struck out two and got an inning ending ground ball after the Lions loaded the bases with no outs.
After striking out the leadoff Lion in the seventh and giving up a pair of singles, reliever David Riojas was touched for a double to bring the score to 3-2. With the bases full of Lions, Riojas clinched the victory with a game ending strikeout.
The Rebs are now 12-2 in district following a 2-0 win over Schertz Clemens on Tuesday. The Rebels will face Clemens again on Friday at Buffalo Field.
