by JASON GORDON
Hays’ Phillip Abreo (left) belted a three-run homer to give the Rebels a dramatic 8-6 victory in extra innings Monday night against Lockhart. (Photo by Elena Smith)
After a game that saw as many twists and turns as a Fiesta Texas roller coaster, Phillip Abreo decided it was finally time for everyone to go home.
Abreo belted a three-run homer just over the fence in left-center field in the bottom of the eighth inning to give the Hays baseball team a dramatic 8-6 victory over Lockhart Monday night at Rebel Field.
The game-winning home run came after Hays squandered bases-loaded chances in both the sixth and seventh innings, and after Lockhart plated two runners in the top of the eighth to build what looked to be an insurmountable lead.
That was until Stefen Navarro got the homer party started in the eighth for the Rebels by nailing a shot to left to trim the margin to 6-5. After Anthony Pesina doubled and Trace Gandy walked, Abreo hit the game-winner on an 0-2 count.
“I just loaded up and swung,” Abreo said. “It was one of those pitches you look for but you hardly ever get. I didn’t even feel it coming off the bat. I just heard the sound and knew it was perfect.”
The win was important as Hays stayed a game behind district-leading San Marcos in the 17-4A race. The Rebels improved to 12-6 overall and 3-1 in district play.
Abreo also picked up the win in relief of starting pitcher Shane Kelley, throwing three innings and giving up no earned runs.
“I’m proud of these kids and the way they stepped up,” said Hays head coach Doug Ragsdale. “They didn’t fold up their tents after we got down a couple of times. That last inning was really something. It was absolute relief when I saw Phillip’s home run clear the wall. He really roped it.”
Hays was trailing 4-1 early as key errors in the second and third innings led to three unearned runs.
The Rebels clawed their way back in the bottom of the fifth, as Victor Rubio scored on a Pesina groundout, and Navarro and Abreo scored on Lockhart errors to knot the score 4-4.
The Rebels had plenty of chances to win the game before it went into extra innings, but Hays went scoreless in both the sixth and seventh innings despite loading the bases in both frames with less than two outs.
“We really should have won the game by scoring in the sixth or the seventh,” Abreo said. “But we’ve been a good comeback team this year and we never stopped believing we could win.”
Hays will likely face another tough challenge when it travels to Lehman, a team that has never beaten the Rebels, for a Thursday night game. First pitch at Lobo Field is scheduled for 7 p.m.
