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  • Big Sandy season ends in area round

    Big Sandy vs ShrinerBRIAN BESCH | PCE Pre-game festivities in Navasota, as Big Sandy and Shiner prepare to play. 

    By Brian Besch

    The Big Sandy baseball season came to a close Saturday, as the Shiner Comanches were 10-0 winners of the game and 2-0 winners of the series.

    Scoring a run in each of the first three innings, the Comanches had a lead before an error allowed for three more runs in the fourth.

    After a promising first inning to the series opener when the Wildcats scored a run and had multiple baserunners, they were shut out over the final 11 frames of play.

    "We played hard, but made an error that cost us three runs," Big Sandy coach Blake Brown said. "We didn't hit really well (Saturday). They hit the ball well and they just beat us today. They played good defense and pitched well. In the first three innings, we walked the leadoff batter and he scored every inning. They are very talented and I expect them to make a pretty good run."
    This is the first full season under Brown and the coach said he would remember it for a few reasons. 

    "This season was one for the books for us," the coach said. "We were coming off of covid and a lot of my kids didn't get to play much last year. We had a lot of growing to do and had some growing pains early, then we got into the district and really turned it on and played good baseball.

    "Postseason, we scratched it out against Iola and I was proud of the way we played. Coming into the series with Shiner, we knew they were good, but we really didn't take care of our end. We didn't throw a lot of strikes and we didn't play great defense and didn't hit very well. Overall, I am very proud of the way my kids competed all year. We are returning a lot for next year."

    Big Sandy will graduate seven seniors and two that are regular starters. Isias Walker, Trevor Quinones, "Rooster" Clay Laird, Robert Stamey, Alonzo Bullock, Patrick Mosely and Michael Hamilton have all finished their baseball careers in Dallardsville.

    "This group of seniors had a crazy couple of years. I will remember that for sure," Brown said. "They are hard workers, every single one of them. Overall, I know that every one of them is going to have a bright future ahead, whether it is going to college or onto their career path."

  • Centerville enjoys successful season

    041521 baseball 2TONY FARKAS | TCNS Groveton right fielder Reese White beats the pickoff back to first base during the Indians’ 19-1 win over Apple Springs on April 6.

    Special to the News-Standard

    CENTERVILLE — On March 23, Centerville pulled off a 14-1 win against the Apple Springs Eagles.

    Starting pitcher for the Bulldogs was Aydn Self, squaring off against the Eagles’ Dakota Campbell. Self went five innings with five strikeouts, and giving up one run; while Campbell pitched four and picked up seven strikeouts, while allowing 11 runs.

    Closing pitcher for the Eagles was Daniel Johnson, who gave up three runs with one strikeout.

    For the Bulldogs, Self went 3-for-3 with a double and two singles and five stolen bases; Logan Villanueva went 2-for-3 and three stolen bases; and Weston Dial, Ty Havard, Anthony Commiato, Ethan Rutledge and Logan Whittlesey each contributed hits as well.

    The win put Centerville’s record at 4-1 on the season.

    On March 16, Centerville downed the North Zulch Bulldogs 13-12.

    On March 12, Centerville downed the Richards Panthers 13-11 in extra innings.

    The Bulldogs and Panthers were tied 11-11 at the bottom of the sixth. Neither team scored in the seventh; in the eighth, Travis Thorne was on base after a walk, and lead-off batter Aydn Self clobbered a homer to bring the Bulldogs score up to 13.

    Starting pitcher Self went five innings and recorded five strikeouts.

    Logan Villanueva, Weston Dial, Travis Thorne and Logan Whittlesey each contributed hits in the win.

     

    Scores roundup

    Apple Springs

    April 12 vs. Wells, 3-2 win

    April 9 vs. Centerville, 20-0 loss

    April 6 vs. Groveton, 19-1 loss

    April 1 vs. Douglass, 29-0 loss

    Centerville

    April 9 vs. Apple Springs, 20-0 win

    Groveton

    April 9 vs. Douglass, 10-9 win

    April 6 vs. Apple Springs, 19-1 win

    Trinity

    April 9 vs. Tarkington, 16-1 loss.

  • Coldspring downs rival Trinity

    040121 baseball 1TONY FARKAS | SJNT Coldspring-Oakhurst hurler Easton Dean delivers a pitch to a Trinity batter during the team’s 18-1 win over the Tigers on Friday.

    News-Times staff

    TRINITY — Hot bats gave the Coldspring-Oakhurst Trojans a commanding win over the Trinity Tigers on Friday.

    Trojan Head Coach Austin Riddell said it was a great overall team win, defeating the Tigers 18-1 in five innings.

    Easton Dean, who also carried pitching duties, went 4-for-5 and hit for the cycle, including his first high school-career home run. He also put up three strikeouts while allowing only two hits.

    Trinity managed to put up a few hits, but couldn’t string together enough to counter Coldspring-Oakhurst.

    Tiger head coach Chad Kinney said senior Sam Allen gave up a total of 4 earned runs and 1 RBI at the plate, and junior Cole Caldwell went 2-for-2 with a triple and a run scored. Freshmen Remi Lassman and Cole Hortman each went 1-for-2 with a double, and freshman David McKendree walked twice.

    Riddell said this week is going to be a tough test, as they were to play New Waverly on Tuesday at home, and then travel to Anderson-Shiro on Thursday.

    “This will be a great measuring tool to see where we truly stand in our district and we are excited for the opportunity,” he said.

    Kinney said that due to having players out, the next game — Onalaska on Thursday — they will be starting five or six freshmen.

  • Eight-inning roller coaster  (VIDEO)

    IMG 7556BRIAN BESCH | PCE Landon Leggett singles in the sixth inning.

    By Brian Besch

    Livingston Lion baseball lost 6-5 in extra innings and heartbreaking fashion Wednesday to Bellville. They will need wins Friday and Saturday to continue the season. 

    Every out was important Wednesday and the last out of each inning seemed the most difficult to secure. 

    Down 4-2 and down to their final strike, Cooper Brown reached base with an infield single. Jacob Haynes drove him in with an RBI-triple. In just his second at-bat back from injury, Landon Leggett delivered his second hit of the game, tying it at four each. All was accomplished with two outs. 

    "Every out and every pitch matters," Livingston coach Wade Halfmann said. "We had two strikes. Every pitch matters. We saw adversity for the first time in the playoffs. We saw adversity, and we overcame it. Down 4-2 with two outs, we overcome adversity. There is unbelievable fight in these kids. Did we make mistakes? Yes, we did. I didn't say a word about it -- they know. These guys are ball players." 

    In bonus baseball, Tay McNeal led off with a base hit to center field. Ruiz then singled, getting McNeal to third. Tyler Seek fouled off five pitches before getting the fly ball into the outfield needed to get the go-ahead run home. 

    Brown, who threw two-plus innings of relief, got two quick outs in the bottom of the eighth. Then, a batter was walked, followed by a single. Brown finally got the ground ball he needed, but the throw from third base sailed beyond first, allowing both runners to score and the Brahmas to take Game 1. 

    Ruiz, Leggett and Haynes each had two hits for the Lions, while those three plus Walker Findley and Gage Morris had a run batted in. 

    Halfmann is known as a motivator, but gave a different answer when asked how he would get his team energized after a deflating loss. 

    "I don't. It's their turn. This is a series now. Some of these kids have been in the playoffs, one and done. They left in their sophomore year saying that it was alright and that they will have next year. Now, there isn't a next year. If they want to keep playing, they will find it within them to look in the mirror and say that they are somebody. I believe they are."

  • Groveton Invitational Baseball Tournament

    031121 baseball 1TONY FARKAS | TCNS Reece White makes contact with a pitch during the Groveton Invitational Tournament on Thursday. Groveton won its two outings, 9-1 over Trinity and 5-2 over Normagee.

    Thursday Results

    Groveton 9, Trinity 1

    Groveton 5, Normangee 2

    Warren 5, Trinity 3

    Diboll 8, Normangee 4

    Diboll 13, Warren 2

    031121 baseball 2TONY FARKAS | TCNS Kaleb Coots brings the heat against a Normagee batter during the Groveton Invitation Tournament on Thursday.

  • Livingston advances to regional quarterfinals (VIDEO)

    Blake Compton BRIAN BESCH | PCE Blake Compton threw five innings of one-run ball Saturday for the win.

    By Brian Besch

    The Livingston Lions broke out the brooms Saturday at Grand Oaks High School, defeating Navasota 9-2 to end the area round in two games.

    "Every team is a good team and this is round two of the playoffs," Livingston coach Wade Halfmann said. "They earned their way here and so did we, and we were the better team this round. There were some ups and downs, but the bottom line is that our guys came to compete."

    The Lions are finding ways to get on base through walks or even a few batters taking some bruises when hit by a pitch. Though they only had eight hits, there were plenty of candidates to score their nine runs.

    "We don't care how (they reach base) and 90 feet is all that matters to us," Halfmann said. "We want to get the next guy up."

    That showed in the second inning, as the Lions took a 3-0 lead on just one base hit. Cooper Brown walked, Jacob Haynes was beaned, Jordan Huson grounded into a fielder's choice and Gage Morris was also hit by a pitch to load the bases. 

    When Tay McNeal was hit by a pitch, the third of the inning, a run scored. That brought up Damian Ruiz, who singled to bring in two.

    Halfmann said that going forward, his hope is that his pitchers can get ahead early in the count.
    Saturday's starter Blake Compton was around 100 pitches in five frames Saturday and Tyler Seek was pulled after six Friday because he had reached the pitch limit. 

    "We are getting a little too deep into counts, if I am to be picky," Halfmann said. "The fight that they show, when they are 2-0 or 3-0 to get right back in it, is amazing. That is a testament to them and the way that they want to fight."

    Compton worked out of trouble in the first inning, escaping from a bases-loaded jam with just one out unscathed. The only Rattler run off Compton would come in the third inning by way of sacrifice fly.
    Livingston scored two more runs in each of the third, fourth and fifth innings. The last Lion runs were off the bat of Ruiz, who slugged a two-run homer over the wall in left field. 

    Now in the regional quarterfinals, Livingston is set to face Bellville. They were winners in two of the three games over Hamshire-Fannett, with a 7-3 triumph to clinch. The Brahmas were champions of District 24-4A.

  • Livingston sweeps Silsbee

    IMG 6995BRIAN BESCH | PCE

    By Brian Besch

    Shutting down a late threat Saturday, Livingston Lion baseball advanced to the area round, after sweeping Silsbee in two games, 7-4 and 3-2.

    A grand slam from Blake Compton gave the Lions the lead for good in the contest Friday night.

    Saturday morning was a closer, low-scoring result that was in doubt until the final out was recorded.

    “They are a bunch of characters that just love to play for each other and we have to fight for ourselves,” Livingston coach Wade Halfmann said. “We have to find a way. You cannot win a game when you're not having fun, and we don't lack energy.”

    Tyler Seek started on the mound for Livingston, throwing a complete game in a gutsy performance.

    “You talk about somebody that wants to grind for his team,” Halfmann said. “He gets a nice base hit and gets stepped on and he gets injured.”



    The coach offered to pinch-hit for his pitcher, but Seek was more than willing to bat. Seek would later take a line drive off the ankle that would hobble him a bit more, but again he batted and again produced a base hit.

    A two-run homer in the fourth inning would be the only mistake that cost Seek runs. It tied the game at two each. It also didn’t seem to cut into Livingston momentum. The Lions played with a high energy all seven innings.

    "They were happy for those 10 seconds and that trip around the bases, because they didn't actually believe, in my opinion (they would win)," Halfmann said.

    Livingston had put up two runs in the inning before, starting with a single by Compton. Walker Findley sacrificed him to second and he would come home on an RBI-triple from Cooper Brown. On a Lane Huson sac fly, Brown would touch home plate.

    Jacob Haynes and Huson both took a base on balls in the fifth, and Gage Morris delivered the winning run on a single.

    The Tigers threatened in the final frame, with a one-out triple. However, Seek induced two ground balls to finish off the game and the series.

  • Season ends in style

    051321 baseball 5COURTESY PHOTO Winners display their trophies and peace signs during Championship Weekend at the Trinity Baseball-Softball League on Saturday.

    Special to the News-Standard

    TRINITY —The Trinity Baseball-Softball League said goodbye to the season with a Championship Weekend and parade, a new development for the league.

    Organizers offered thanks to all of the teams and parents for decorating floats, to the Trinity Police Department for coordinating traffic, and to the Trinity Volunteer Fire Department, as Trinity High School Baseball players led the parade atop Ladder 1.

    The top 3 best-decorated floats were 12U Lovelady, first place; 12U Trinity White, second place; and 6U Trinity Purple, third place.

    Softball Cake Auction winners were 6U Pink, Bub and Melenie Meredith; 10 Purple, Carol Ketcham; 12U Black, Trinity Cafe (Roland and Dolores Kane); and 15U Orange, Rollo Insurance (Rusty Baker).

    Baseball Cake Auction winners: 6U Gold, DC and Heather Musgrove; 6U Purple, Danny and Suzi Gearheart; 6U Red, Jonathon and Shelby Pope; 8U Sky Blue, George Kane and Bub and Melenie Meredith; 8U Green, Lloyd and Jeannette Burson; 10U Charcoal, Kembro Construction (Brian and Kimberly Kembro); 10U Royal, All-Around Electric (Matt and Jennifer Budzise); 12U Black, James and Dana Herrera; 12U White, Lynette, Kristina and Steven Bass; and 14 Orange, Ace Bail Bonds.

    051321 basseball 4COURTESY PHOTO Softball players get trophies during Championship Weekend at the Trinity Baseball-Softball League on Saturday.

    The first-ever cake auction generated $7,740.

    Volunteers and other supporters were also shown appreciation during the event.

  • Shutout win in rubber match

    IMG 6875BRIAN BESCH | PCE Big Sandy Wildcatscelebrating a win.

    By Brian Besch

    The Big Sandy Wildcats scored early and often Saturday, clinching a bi-district championship over Iola 11-0 in Willis.

    "We played to our full potential today," Big Sandy coach Blake Brown said. "We played good defense, pitched well, put the ball in play and took advantage of some situations on the basepaths to score in every inning."

    The Wildcats made the most of their time at the plate. They scored 1, 2, 4 and 4, respectively, over the four frames.

    Trace Flores, Bryce Barnes, Brayden Young and Ethan Murphy each had two RBIs, with the latter three collecting two hits as well. Young and Murphy scored twice, while Trever Quinones crossed the plate three times.

    As a team, the Big Sandy offense had more hits (13) than recorded outs (12).

    "Our guys had really good at-bats all the way up and down the order," Brown said. "Every time we got somebody in the box, we were seeing a lot of pitches. I think we got hit by a pitch five times today. Pretty much all of the baserunners that we got today were moved into scoring position and a lot of those were paid off."

    Tony Carter pitched on a limited count, with only 76 tosses to work with Saturday after making relief appearances in both games Friday. He was able to finish Game 3, covering five innings in just 63 pitches.

    He scattered five hits and a walk, and struck out three Bulldogs.

    "Defensively, we just made a lot of plays. Isias Walker had a really good game. He played (shortstop) today while Tony was pitching and he made every play that was hit to him."

    "Tony did a good job of getting on top of their bats, so there were a lot of balls in the air. I think they got their first hit in the third inning. Tony just commanded the game from the bump all day. Defensively, we were just there to make the plays behind him."

    Brown said the next opponent, Shiner, will be present a big challenge. The Comanches are 22-2 and the Texas High School Coaches Association ranks them as the top team in the state.

    "It is going to be a tough matchup for us. They are a tough matchup for anybody. I am never going to count my kids out if we play good baseball and play clean defense like we did today. I know they've got one really good pitcher and, as a team, they are pretty salty. I feel like our guys will come ready to play."

    The series will begin Friday at 5:30 p.m. in Navasota and continue Saturday at 11 a.m. and (if needed) 1:30 p.m.

  • Trinity falls to rival Coldspring

    040121 baseball 2TONY FARKAS | TCNS Trinity Tiger Third Baseman Cole Caldwell slides into third following his opening at-bat triple during the Friday game with Coldspring-Oakhurst. Despite going on to score, the Tigers lost to the Trojans 18-1.

    News-Tribune staff

    TRINITY — Hot bats gave the Coldspring-Oakhurst Trojans a win over the Trinity Tigers on Friday.

    Tiger head coach Chad Kinney said senior Sam Allen gave up a total of 4 earned runs and 1 RBI at the plate, and junior Cole Caldwell went 2-for-2 with a triple and a run scored. Freshmen Remi Lassman and Cole Hortman each went 1-for-2 with a double, and freshman David McKendree walked twice.

    Trinity managed to put up a few hits, but couldn’t string together enough to counter Coldspring-Oakhurst.

    Kinney said that due to having players out, the next game — Onalaska on Thursday — they will be starting five or six freshmen.

    Trojan Head Coach Austin Riddell said it was a great overall team win.

    Easton Dean, who also carried pitching duties, went 4-for-5 and hit for the cycle, including his first high school-career home run. He also put up three strikeouts while allowing only two hits.

    Riddell said this week is going to be a tough test, as they were to play New Waverly on Tuesday at home, and then travel to Anderson-Shiro on Thursday.

    “This will be a great measuring tool to see where we truly stand in our district and we are excited for the opportunity,” he said.