The Olton Mustangs’ varsity baseball team struggled offensively in game one of their Class 2A Regional Quarterfinal series in Littlefield on Thursday, as they fell to New Home, 27-0.
In the top of the first inning, Jackson Raines singled to Logan Lassiter at shortstop, who slipped as he caught the grounder, giving New Home their first base runner of the day. Brazos Beck struck out looking, as Raines took second on the pitch with one out. Raines took third on a past ball, before Logan Addison hit a sacrifice fly to Eric Valencia in center field, allowing Raines to tag-up and score from third to make the score, 1-0.
A swinging bunt by Mason Turnbow stayed fair on the third-base line and Brody Emert followed it up with an RBI-triple to left-center field to push their lead to, 2- 0. Ryder Watkins drew a walk to put runners on the corners, and Emert scored on a past ball, moving Ryder Watkins over to third on the play, making the score, 3- 0, before Brenden Beckham grounded out to Cole Montgomery at second base to retire the side.
The Mustang’s offense didn’t have anything going in the bottom of the first inning, as Lassiter, Brody Langford and Adolfo Garcia all struck out swinging to end the inning.
New Home’s offense struck again in the top of the second, as Starkey led things off with a double to left- center field. Hunter Watkins laid down a sacrifice bunt to first, that was fielded by Alan Vasquez and thrown to first for the out, as Starkey advanced to third on the play with one out. Raines drew a walk and took second on a cut-off thrown down to second, before Beck ripped a two-RBI single to right field to extend the lead to, 5-0.
Addison followed it up with a double down the right-field line and Turnbow kept the rally going with an RBI-single on an error by Montgomery at second base, making the score, 7-0. Emert struck out swinging for out number two, but Ryder Watkins was hit by a pitch to put another runner on for New Home.
Beckham hit an RBI-single to center field, and tried for second on the bobble by Valencia, but he was thrown out at second, as Montgomery slapped the tag on him to retire the side with the score, 8-0.
The Mustangs went down in order in the home-half of the second inning, and in the top of the third, the Leopards added seven runs to make the score, 15-0. New Home’s offensive show continued, as they added four more runs in the top of the fourth inning, making the score, 19-0.
In the bottom half of the fourth, Langford singled past shortstop to break up the perfect game for Lucio, as Soliz came on as the courtesy runner for the catcher. Lassiter struck out swinging for out number one, but Soliz took second on a past ball.
Adolfo Garcia grounded out to Ryder Watkins at first base, as Soliz advanced to third with two outs, but Montgomery popped up to Starkey behind second base to end the inning.
New Home added eight runs in the top of the fifth to extend the lead to, 27-0, and the Mustangs were unable to plate any runs in the home-half of the fifth, as they dropped game one of the series to the Leopards.