The Springlake-Earth Wolverines put together a seventh-inning rally to keep their season alive on Thursday night, as they took game two of their double-header with the Borden County Coyotes, 9-8.
The win tied the series at one game apiece.
The Wolverines got the offense going early in game two, as Evan DeLeon led things off with a single to Ethan Hargrove away from the bag at first. The ball was bobbled and nobody covered first, giving the Wolverines a base runner. DeLeon took second on a pitch and third on a past ball, before Trace Goodman drew a walk to put runners on the corners for Springlake-Earth.
Goodman took second, before Jalen Solis hit a sacrifice grounder to Kasen Oaks at third base to score DeLeon from third and move Goodman over to third, making the score, 1-0, with one out. Davey Crandall hit a fly ball to center field that was dropped by Austin Buchanan, allowing Goodman to score to extend their lead to, 2-0. The rally would come to an end, as Crandall was picked off at second by the catcher, Trey Edwards and Xavyer Mosqueda struck out swinging to retire the side. In the bottom half of the side,
Goodman gave up back-to-back walks to Tom Kingston and Koda Bigham, before getting Buchanan to strike out swinging for out number one. Tom Kingston stole third on a pitch and scored on a throw down to third by Solis that got by Gavin Gonzales, cutting the lead to, 2-1. Edwards followed it up with an RBI-single up the middle to tie the game, 2-2, as Crandall relieved Goodman on the mound for the Wolverines.
Edwards took second on a bad pick-off move to first by Crandall, before Justin Willborn grounded out deep in the hole at shortstop to DeLeon for out number two. Mason Cole hit an RBI-single to left-center field to put the Coyotes up, 3-2, but on the next play, Cole was picked off at second by the catcher, Solis to end the inning.
The Wolverines offense went cold in the top of the second inning, as Josh Samaron struck out looking, Alex Alvarez grounded out to Cole at shortstop and Slade Beerwinkle grounded out to Oaks at third base to retire the side.
In the home half of the second inning, Hargrove drew a lead-off walk and Trent Lewis laid down a sacrifice bunt to move the runner to second, as Crandall fielded the ball and got the out at first for out number one. A balk by Crandall moved the runner over to third for Borden County, before Crandall got Oaks to strike out swinging for out number two. Tom Kingston hit an RBI-double on a throwing error to first by Gonzales, stretching the Coyote’s lead to, 4-2. Bigham was hit by a pitch, but
Buchanan hit a one-hopper to DeLeon at shortstop, who got the out at first to end the inning.
The Wolverines went down in order in the top of the third inning and Edwards led off the bottom half of the inning with a double to center field that got by Samaron. Rhett Kingston came on as the courtesy runner. Edwards took third on a past ball, before Willborn drew a walk to put runners on the corners for Borden County.
Rhett Kingston was picked off at third by Solis, who made a fake throw to second, before firing down to third to Gonzales, who slapped the tag on the runner for the out. Cole was hit by a pitch, but Crandall got Hargrove to strike out swinging for out number two. Lewis drew a walk to load the bases and Oaks walked to bring in a run, stretching the lead to, 5-2, before Samaron relieved Crandall on the mound.
Tom Kingston was hit by a pitch to bring in a run, making the score, 6-2, but Lewis was picked off at third by Solis to end the inning.
In the top of the fourth inning, Solis led off with an infield single to Cole at shortstop, but the throw to first pulled Hargrove off the bag, giving Springlake-Earth a base runner. Crandall was hit by a pitch, but Mosqueda struck out swinging for out number one. Solis stole third and scored on a throw down to third by Edwards that got by Oaks, trimming the lead to, 6-3, and Crandall took third on a wild pitch, as Samaron drew a walk to put runners on the corners. The Wolverines, though, would strand a runner, as Samaron was picked off at first by Tom Kingston on the mound and Alvarez struck out swinging to retire the side.
The Wolverines kept the Coyotes off the board in the bottom half of the fourth and Beerwinkle led off the top of the fifth with a triple to right field. Gonzales struck out swinging for out number one, but DeLeon singled off of the leg of Tom Kingston on the mound to cut the lead to, 6-4. Goodman grounded into a fielder’s choice to Oaks at third, who got the force out at second for out number two.
Solis drew a walk and the runners advanced a bag on a ball in the dirt, before Crandall flew out to Willborn in right field to retire the side.
DeLeon got the Coyotes to go three-up-and-three-down in the bottom of the fifth inning, but the Wolverines were unable to generate any offense in the top of the sixth. The Coyotes added two runs in the bottom half of the inning to make the score, 8-4, heading into the seventh inning.
The Wolverines came to bat in the top of the seventh with their season dwindling, as Beerwinkle led off with a single on a throwing error to first by Oaks at third base. Gonzales singled on an error by Hargrove at first, as Beerwinkle went first-to-third on the play, putting runners on the corners for the Wolverines.
Goodman hit an RBI-fielder’s choice up the middle, as Cole stepped on second for the force out, but his throw to first was not in time, as the lead was cut to, 8-5. Cole relieved Tom Kingston on the mound, but gave up a walk to Solis to load the bases, as he was relieved by Buchanan.
Buchanan gave up an RBI-walk to Crandall and Mosqueda followed it up with an RBI-single to second base on an error by Lewis to make the score, 8-7. Samaron laid a sacrifice bunt down the firstbase line that was fielded by Buchanan, who went home with it, but Solis was able to beat the tag by Edwards to tie the game, 8- 8.
Alvarez hit an RBI-single to left field that scored Crandall to put the Wolverines in front. Mosqueda was thrown out at the plate for out number two also trying to score. Beerwinkle drew a walk to reload the bases, but Gonzales struck out swinging to retire the side, as the Wolverines took a, 9-8, lead into the bottom of the seventh.
Lewis was hit by a pitch to lead off the bottom half of the side, but DeLeon got Oaks to strike out swinging for out number one. Tom Kingston drew a walk and the runners advanced 90-feet on a past ball, before Bigham popped up to DeLeon behind the mound for out number two. Buchanan hit a chopper to Mosqueda away from the bag at first, who flipped it to DeLeon at first to end the game and force a do-or-die game three on Monday.
Goodman started on the mound for the Wolverines, pitching 0.1 innings, earning one strikeout, while giving up two walks and one run. Crandall pitched 2.1 innings, earning two punch outs, while giving up five walks and four runs and Samaron pitched 0.1 innings giving up three walks and one run.
DeLeon pitched four innings giving up six walks and two runs, while earning five strikeouts in the contest.
Game three will be Monday at Lubbock-Cooper High School.
First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m.