Matt Casas pitched a two-hit shutout against No. 6 Smithson Valley to send Hays into the playoffs at the second seed in District 27-4A. (Photo by Liza Anna Amezquita)
By JAMES HOLLAND
Twice this season Hays has suffered what could have been demoralizing district losses, but each time Matt Casas made sure those defeats didn’t turn into long losing streaks.
Friday night’s victory was the biggest of all, as Casas tossed a six-hit complete-game shutout against Smithson Valley, the sixth-ranked team in Class 4A in a 2-0 win at Rebel Field.
The win came on the heels of a 12-4 loss to Canyon last week, but Friday night’s victory wrapped up second place in District 27-4A for Hays. A loss would have meant the Rebs would have had to play Canyon again Monday for a right for the district’s second playoff seed.
“Nobody likes Mondays,” Casas said. “We definitely didn’t want to play then.”
Hays advances to play Uvalde in a one-game playoff in the bi-district round Friday night at Wolff Stadium in San Antonio. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m.
“Tonight Matt said, ‘Coach just give me the ball, I’ve got this,’” Hays head coach Doug Ragsdale said. “He’s got a lot of courage and was outstanding tonight.”
Previously after a second straight loss against rival Lehman Casas picked up a key win over Alamo Heights for the Rebels. He threw a one-hitter earlier this month against the Mules that kick-started a three-game district winning streak during the final weeks of the league season.
Friday night, he handed a Smithson Valley team averaging nearly nine runs per game in district its first 27-4A loss. The Rangers fell to 27-7 on the season. Hays finishes the regular season 8-4 in district.
“Before the game, no one was talking to Matt,” Hays catcher Victor Rubio said. “We knew he was getting into it mentally. He went out and did what he had to do.”
Hays also played excellent defensively behind Casas, as each infielder, first baseman Chase Brunnemann, second baseman Aaron Martinets, shortstop Adrian Acosta, and third baseman Stefen Navarro made at least one outstanding play in the field, as did center fielder Masen Gully.
Offensively, hays got all the runs it needed in the first inning as Trevor Ragsdale scored on a Smithson Valley error and Navarro followed with an RBI single to plate Nick Cavazos.
“This was an extreme confidence booster,” Casas said. “I expect us to build off this momentum in the playoffs.”
