By CHARLES DEE
Alec Swofford(2-0) allowed only two hits in five innings of stellar mound work, as the Hays Rebel baseball team bested Cibolo Steele 11-2 in the first of two wins on Thursday in the Judson invitational tournament.
Swofford’s effort was amply supported by a Rebel offense that used 13 hits to plate nine in the first two innings, later adding two more in the fifth to claim the run rule victory. An early walk and a Granger Studdard triple got the Rebs on the board; singles by Dalton Niles, Devin Palm, Justin Diaz and a big double by Swofford helped Hays build a 5-0 lead in the first. The Rebs were off to the races in the second, as Alex Robles doubled, Studdard hit another triple, an RBI single by Niles and a double by Nate Scott moved the scoreboard to 9-1. Justin Montana, Swofford, and Studdard used doubles in the fifth to finalize the win.
In a completely opposite second game, the Rebs’ Jose Cerda delivered a clutch single to drive in Nate Scott with the game-winning run in a hard fought 3-2 win over Laredo United South.
Gibson Hatch pitched 6 strong innings in the time shortened victory. Hatch pitched out of trouble with the game tied 2-2 in the fifth and sixth to notch even his record at 1-1. Without benefit of a hit, Devin Palm tied the game when he reached by error, stole second and scored on a pair of passed balls to even the score at one each in the second. Trailing 2-1 in the fifth, the Rebs coupled a costly United error on a Studdard fly ball with an RBI single by Niles, setting the stage for the sixth inning heroics.
Now 6-3, the Rebels continue tournament play on Friday against San Antonio Jefferson and host Converse Judson.
