KRXT SPORTS
JUNE 2
(WACO)–THE TAYLOR DUCKS WENT INTO ACTION
ON THURSDAY LOOKING FOR ONE WIN TO SWEEP THEIR
BEST OF 3 REGIONAL FINALS SERIES AGAINST
CHINA SPRING AND ADVANCE TO THE STATE
TOURNAMENT. BUT CHINA SPRING OVERPOWERED
THE DUCKS IN GAME 2 TO TIE THE SERIES, AND THEN
A BAD INNING DOOMED THE DUCKS’ HOPES IN GAME 3
AS THE DUCKS LOST 2 GAMES TO THE COUGARS AND
SAW THEIR SEASON COME TO AN END ON THURSDAY.
IN GAME 2 ON THURSDAY AFTERNOON, CHINA
SPRING JUMPED OUT TO AN EARLY LEAD, WITH A PAIR
OF R-B-I DOUBLES BY DEAN HANNAH AND J-C HUGHES
IN THE FIRST INNING, AND R-B-I SINGLES BY JASE GARRETT
AND HANNAH IN THE 2ND INNING FOR A 4 TO NOTHING LEAD
FOR THE COUGARS. THE COUGARS EXTENDED THE LEAD
TO 8 TO NOTHING ON R-B-I SINGLES FROM HUGHES
BRENNAN DANIEL IN THE 6TH. THE DUCKS PUT UP
ON A RUN ON AN R-B-I SINGLE IN THE BOTTOM OF THE
6TH BUT CHINA SPRING WAS IN CONTROL.
THE DUCKS PUT YOUNG PLAYERS IN, SO THAT
THEY COULD PRESERVE THEIR TOP PLAYERS FOR GAME 3,
AND THE COUGARS ADDED 4 MORE RUNS TO MAKE IT A
12 TO ONE MARGIN.
THE DUCKS GOT GOING EARLY IN GAME 3 IN THE
TOP OF THE FIRST AS DOMINICK HARTMAN SCORED
ON COHEN TYREE’S R-B-I GROUNDOUT, THEN ADDED
2 MORE IN THE TOP OF THE 2ND ON R-B-I SINGLES BY MARIO
AGUERO AND CONNER BARCUCH TO MAKE IT 3 TO NOTHING.
CHINA SPRING CAME BACK IN THE BOTTOM OF THE
3RD WITH 3 RUNS ON A SACRIFICE FLY BY BRAXTON BOWERS,
AN R-B-I SINGLE BY JACOB KLEMENT, AS WELL AS A BASES
LOADED WALK TO GARRETT.
THE DUCKS PUT UP 2 MORE RUNS IN THE 4TH, BUT
THEN CHINA SPRING SCORED ONE IN THE 5TH, AND THEN
THE GAME CHANGED ENTIRELY IN THE BOTTOM OF THE 6TH.
THE DUCKS COULD NOT THROW STRIES AND HAD MULTIPLE
WALKS. THE DUCKS WENT INTO THE INNING TRAILING
TO 7. BUT THE DUCKS PITCHERS WALKED MULITPLE
BATTERS, INCLUDING BASES LOADED WALKS. AFTER THE
INNING WAS OVER, THE DUCKS TRAILED 14 TO 6.
THE DUCKS MANAGED A COUPLE OF HITS IN
THE BOTTOM OF THE 7TH, CHRIS PEREZ GROUNDED INTO
A FORCE OUT TO END IT.
TAYLOR DUCK HEAD COACH JUSTIN ADAMS SAYS
THE COUGARS MADE THE RIGHT PLAYS AT THE RIGHT
TIMES, WHILE THE DUCKS STRUGGLED THROUGH A
TOUGH MOMENT DEFENSIVELY AT THE WORST TIME…
“YEAH, YOU KNOW, THOSE KIDS FROM CHINA
SPRING DID A GOOD JOB COMPETING. WE JUST LOST OUR
ABILITY TO THROW STRIKES, AND WHEN WE DID, THEY
HIT BALLS HARD. AND UNFORTUNATELY, WE JUST
DIDN’T PLAY SOLID DEFENSE. PROBABLY THE WORST
INNING OF DEFENSE MAYBE ALL YEAR.”
A ROCKDALE GIRLS TENNIS DOUBLES DUO HAS BEEN
RECOGNIZED. JULIE BARTSCH AND YOLIANNA CASTILLO
WERE NAMED TO THE TEXAS HIGH SCHOOL COACHES
ASSOCIATION SUPER ELITE TEAM FOR CLASS 3-A TENNIS.
BARTSCH AND CASTILLO MADE A RUN IN THE POSTSEASON,
REACHING THE REGIONAL TOURNAMENT AT A & M
CONSOLIDATED BEFORE THEIR RUN CAME TO AN END.