by JASON GORDON
Hays pitcher Sam Breyfogle (above) lost a narrow 3-2 decision to San Marcos last week, but the Rebels rebounded to win two District 17-4A games behind Shane Kelley’s pitching, including a 4-0 win over Elgin Tuesday night. (Photo by Joel San Miguel)
After suffering its first district loss since 2008 to San Marcos on St. Patrick’s Day, the Hays baseball team called on the strong right arm of Shane Kelley to return to form.
Kelley pitched Hays to a 5-2 victory over Del Valle Friday night before coming right back and shutting out Elgin for six innings in a 4-0 Rebel win Tuesday.
Kelley threw a combined 154 pitches in the two wins to improve to 6-0 on the mound this season.
He struck out six batters against Elgin, including three in the fifth inning. The Rebels improved to 11-5 overall and 2-1 in District 17-4A.
“Those were two gritty performances by Shane,” Hays head coach Doug Ragsdale said. “He didn’t have his best stuff, but he came up big with big pitches when he needed to.”
Hays scored three runs off Elgin errors in the game, including two in the third inning when Anthony Pesina and Rueben Miller came home on Wildcat miscues.
The Rebels certainly could have used the luck of the Irish last Wednesday night against the Rattlers.
San Marcos High ace pitcher Blake Bagley did more than pinch the Rebs, as his 12 strikeouts led the Rattlers to a 3-2 victory at Rebel Field.
The hard-throwing Bagley did walk seven in a workhorse-like 125-pitch performance. He finally gave way to Ryan Schweers with one out in the seventh inning. Schweers recorded the final two outs in the game to pick up the save.
“I’ve never seen Blake pitch better than he did tonight,” Ragsdale said after the loss to San Marcos. “He’s the kind of pitcher our players haven’t seen so far this season. I don’t know if they’ll face anyone that throws that hard all year.”
Hays did manage to take a 1-0 lead on Bagley and the Rattlers in the bottom of the first inning when Justin Heath’s RBI-double to deep right-center field scored Anthony Pesina, but the Rattlers (12-8, 3-0) tied it up on a Jeremy Gonzalez sacrifice fly in the top of the third.
San Marcos’ Isiasa Cantu broke the tie in the top of the fourth when he hit a home run just over the wall in left field off Hays starter Sam Breyfogle.
The Rebels wouldn’t go away quietly, however, as Bagley walked Miller with two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the sixth to help Hays trim the lead to 3-2.
Bagley’s 119th pitch was perhaps his most important, as he struck out Phillip Abreo to end the inning and the threat.
Bagley, who gave up four homers and didn’t get out of the second inning in a lopsided loss while pitching at Rebel Field last season, didn’t downplay the importance of the victory.
“It’s the biggest win I’ve ever been a part of in my four years at SMHS,” Bagley said. “It was like a playoff atmosphere.” tonight. These are the kind of games we love playing in and to win at Hays makes it even more special.”
