The Olton Mustangs’ varsity baseball team won a seeding game in Littlefield on Monday over the New Deal Lions, 12-7, to claim the number seed out of District 3-2A and the outright district championship.
In the top of the first inning, Brody Langford led things off with a single to left field, bringing Jake Soliz on as the courtesy runner for the catcher. Logan chopped out to the shortstop, who threw to first for the out, but Adolfo Garcia hit a chopper over the pitcher, reaching base on an error by Dawson Richardson at second base.
Cole Montgomery laid down a sacrifice bunt to first to score Soliz and move Garcia over to second with two outs, putting the Mustangs in front, 1-0. Paul Lopez would fly out to left field to retire the side.
Logan Lassiter was on the mound for the Mustangs in the bottom half of the first, as he got Ray Alonzo to hit a one-hopper to Lopez at third, as he threw to first for the out. Dallas Sumner singled to center field, but Bryson Houston hit a grounder to Montgomery at shortstop, who stepped on second and tried to throw to first for the double play. The throw was high, but the runner sliding into second was called for interference to end the inning.
Brennon Huguley drew a walk to lead off the second inning, before Alan Vasquez struck out swinging for out number one. Fabian Gutierrez singled on a drop by the left fielder and an overthrow to second, allowed Huguley and Gutierrez to take second and third on the play. Jacob Marquez popped up to the catcher on the third-base side for out number two, but Langford drew a walk to load the bases for Olton.
Huguley scored on an overthrow to third by the catcher to make the score, 2-0, and Lassiter knocked an RBI-single into center field to stretch the lead to, 3-0. Garcia knocked an RBI-single through the right side, scoring Soliz from second base to extend the lead to, 3-0. Montgomery followed it up with a three-RBI triple over the center fielder to push their lead to, 7-0, before Isiah Santoya relieved Houston on the mound for New Deal.
Huguley ripped an RBI-single up the middle to stretch the lead to, 80, but Vasquez would strike out swinging to retire the side.
In the bottom half of the second inning, Tyler Bigham was hit by a pitch to give the Lions a base runner, but Santoya hit a shot back at Lassiter on the mound, who got the out at first for out number one. David Aguirre hit a sacrifice fly to Marquez in right field, that allowed Bigham to tag-up and take third with two outs. Atreya Wilson ripped an RBI-double down the first-base line to get the Lions on the board, trimming the lead to, 8-1, but Richardson chopped out to Gutierrez at second base to end the inning.
Both teams went scoreless until the bottom of the fourth inning when the Lions came to the plate. Houston struck out looking to start things off for New Deal and Bigham popped up to Langford behind the plate for out number two. Santoya was hit by a pitch, bringing Ethan Brown on as the courtesy runner for the pitcher.
Aguirre hit a slow roller to first that was bobbled by Huguley to give the Lions runners on first and second. Wilson knocked an RBIsingle over first base, moving Aguirre over to third, as they trimmed the lead to, 8-2, and Richardson followed it up with an RBI-single to third on a throwing error to first by Lopez, making the score, 8-3. Aiden Ysaguirre beat out an infield single to Montgomery at shortstop to cut the lead to, 8-4, but Alonzo laid down a bunt that was fielded by Lassiter and thrown to first for the out to end the inning.
Huguley was hit by a pitch to begin the fifth inning and he took second on a pitch, before Jaxon Tomsu singled on an error by Alonzo at shortstop. A balk by Santoya brought Huguley in to score, and put Tomsu on second, making the score, 9-4, before Gutierrez struck out swinging for out number one. Marquez chopped out to shortstop, but Tomsu advanced to third on the throw to first with two outs and Langford lined out to Santoya on the mound to retire the side.
In the bottom half of the inning, Sumner singled through the left side and Houston singled on a drop by Marquez in right field to put two runners on for New Deal. Bigham hit a shot to Montgomery at shortstop, who flipped it to second, who then fired it to first for the double play, as Sumner advanced to third with two outs.
Santoya ripped an RBI-triple to right-center field, bringing Brown on as the courtesy runner for the pitcher with the lead cut to, 9-5. Lassiter would get Aguirre to pop up to Montgomery at shortstop to end the inning.
Logan drew a lead-off walk to begin the top of the sixth, as Destry Griffis relieved Santoya on the mound for New Deal. A balk put Lassiter on second base and Garcia followed it up with an RBI-single under the glove of Richardson at second base, making the score, 105. Montgomery singled to shallow right field and the ball bounced over the right fielder, putting Garcia on third and Montgomery on second with no outs.
Lopez popped up to Sumner at third base in foul territory for out number one, but Huguley was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Olton. Tomsu drew an RBI-walk to stretch the lead to, 11-5, and Montgomery scored on a past ball, moving the runners up 90 feet, with the score now, 12-5. Marquez struck out swinging to retire the side.
Langford relieved Lassiter on the mound to begin the bottom of the sixth, as he hit Wilson to give the Lions a base runner. Langford would bounce back, as he got Richardson to strike out swinging and got Ysaguirre to strike out looking for out number two. Alonzo would chop out to Gutierrez at second base to end the inning.
Ysaguirre relieved Griffis on the mound for the Lions in the seventh and he got the Mustangs to go three-up-and-three-down to retire the side.
The Lions would plate two runs in the bottom half of the seventh, but the Mustangs held on for the, 12-7, victory.
Lassiter started on the mound for the Mustangs and threw five innings, giving up five runs and two walks, while earning two strike outs. Langford came on in relief to pitch the final two innings, giving up two runs and one walk, while earning four punch outs.
The Mustangs had a three-game series with the Smyer Bobcats on Thursday and Friday in Littlefield. Results were not available at press time.