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

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."

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

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.