The Olton Mustangs’ varsity baseball team stumbled in their tournament-opener at the 2022 Shorty Barlow Classic in Earth on Thursday, as they fell to Kress, 12-3.
With the loss, the Mustangs fall to 0-1 in tournament play.
Kress had a big first inning to open the contest, as they pushed five runs across, before their side was retired.
In the bottom half of the inning, Eric Valencia doubled to right-center field to lead things off for Olton and Logan Lassiter laid down a swinging bunt that was dropped at first base; Valencia went second to home on the play to get the Mustangs on the board, making the score, 5-1. Brody Langford hit a grounder to first that was bobbled, allowing hit to beat the first baseman to the bag.
Abel Esquivel struck out looking after the runners advanced on a pitch, but Josue Castro-Barrajas hit a sacrifice grounded to Young at shortstop, who got the out at first as a run scored and Raymond Ramirez advanced to third on the play with the score trimmed to, 5- 2. Alan Vasquez would strike out looking to end the inning for Olton.
Kole Campbell singled to left field to open the second inning for Kress and he stole second on a throw down to first that got away from Esquibel. Cutter Runnels drew a walk and Malachi Guzman hit a sacrifice grounded to Castro-Barrajas at second base, who got the out at first as the runners moved up 90-feet with one out.
Elijah Casas drew a walk to load the bases, but Dillon Morphis and Jaleel Baker both struck out looking to retire the side.
Olton went down in order in the bottom of the second inning, and in the top of the third inning, Julian Pinero struck out looking for out number one. James Walker grounded out to Logan Lassiter up the middle for out number two, but Young drew a walk and took second on a pitch and third on a throw into center field, before Campbell singled on an error by Lassiter at shortstop, scoring Young to make the score, 6-2.
Runnels drew a walk, as Raymond Ramirez relieved Vasquez on the mound for Olton. Campbell stole third and scored on a throw into left field by Langford and Guzman followed it up by ripping an RBI-double down the first-base line to push their lead to, 8-2. Casas kept the rally going with an RBI-double to the left-field fence to extend their lead to, 9-2.
Morphis drew a walk, but Baker struck out looking to retire the side.
Valencia got the bottom half of the inning going with a lead-off triple down the right-field line and Lassiter hit a sacrifice to score Valencia from third, trimming the lead to, 10-3. The rally would come to a screeching halt, as Langford grounded out to first and Esquibel lined out to Morphis at second base to end the inning.
Kress would tack on two runs in the top of the fourth, as Olton was kept quiet in the final two innings, falling to the Kangaroos, 12-3, at the Shorty Barlow Classic on Thursday.
Lopez started on the mound pitching 0.2 innings, giving up four walks and five runs. Allen Vasquez put in two innings of work for the Mustangs on the mound, giving up four walks and one run, while earning three punchouts. Raymond Ramirez closed out the game for Olton, pitching 2.1 innings, giving up six runs and three walks, while earning three strikeouts.