By the fourth inning April 4, the Dripping Springs baseball team had no hits or runs to show for its effort against the district-leading Kerrville Tivy Antlers.
The Antlers, which led 1-0 after an Asa Lacy RBI double in the first inning, were pitching a no-hitter at that point, until the Tigers flipped the script.
A single from Brit Howeth broke the slump, followed by a sacrifice bunt, a hit by pitch and a single from Curt Raymond which drove in the team’s first run.
In all, eight Tigers reached base in the fourth inning, all part of a six-run outburst that featured two walks, a hit by pitch and a sacrifice bunt. It was all the offense needed to secure a 6-4 win Tuesday night over Kerrville Tivy.
“We needed that win,” said Dripping Springs coach Chris Payne. “Our team needed that one. Our team came off a pretty disappointing game last Friday and these boys stuck their chests out and played with all their hearts.”
All four of Dripping Springs’ hits in the game occurred in the fourth inning. Otherwise, the offensive performance was more reminiscent of Friday’s 1-0 loss to rival Marble Falls.
Kerrville Tivy gave Dripping Springs oranges and the Tigers still made lemonade.
“Baseball is a funny game,” Payne said. “It’s a game of failure and for us to get a win against a great ball club, it puts our identity in the driver’s seat.”
The Antlers added two runs in the fifth inning and another run in the sixth inning to shave the deficit to two runs.
In the seventh inning, Lacy reached first base on a close call at the bag, putting the game-tying runner at the plate with two outs.
But Payne wasn’t fazed as Dripping Springs had pitcher Quin O’Hara on the mound. His trust was justified when Tivy’s Milan Walla dribbled a soft grounder to third base that ended the game.
“I felt like we were gonna get out of that,” Payne said. “I had 100 percent confidence in our pitching.”
Dripping Springs entered the April 4 district showdown having lost two of its last three games, including a scoreless showing against a Marble Falls team with just two district wins on the season.
A 8-1 loss to Tivy in the previous meeting happened to be lingering on the team’s minds, too. Things certainly appeared to be on the downswing.
But the difference this time around? Trust.
“Our attitude, our confidence, our belief in the process,” Payne said. “(Last time) we were concerned about the outcome instead of believing in the process. Tonight we rode with every single pitch.”
Following the final out, the team convened on the mound with Payne for a pep talk. This time, the mood was jovial, light-hearted and hopeful. The kids were happy. Payne was ecstatic. His team had just beaten one of the best teams in the state.
“I told them ‘I couldn’t be more proud of them,’” Payne said. “There isn’t an ounce of me that isn’t proud of them and where we are at. My expectations are through the roof with this group.
Tuesday night Payne learned another thing or two about his squad.
“These kids don’t quit and that’s the mark of a great team,” Payne said. “We are ready to be great.”
