Leps Start District Strong
La Grange Baseball 2-0 in District 22-4A Play So Far
The start of the season was forgettable for the La Grange baseball team as the Leps began with seven consecutive losses.
But the Leps are playing well when it has mattered most.
La Grange started district play with a 11-1 bashing of Giddings Friday, and then kept the momentum going with a come-from-behind 6-3 win over Smithville at home Tuesday.
With that 2-0 district record the Leps are tied with Taylor atop the district standings.
“It feels awesome,” said La Grange head coach Robert Barber. “And not only being 2-0, but to beat the teams we’ve beaten – our rivals. Opening up district against both those is tough and I was worried about a let down after the big win Friday against Giddings, and that kind of happened in the top of the first but kudos to these guys for fighting back.”
Smithville scored three runs in the top of the first inning, aided by some La Grange miscues in the field.
“We had some problems early, but we finally settled down and got it done,” said La Grange pitcher Brock Loehr, who pitched the complete game. “Early on I was trying to spot the ball, then I just started trusting my arm.”
After that first inning Smithville never really got anything going against Loehr until the seventh, when the Tigers got runners to second and third before the junior hurler coaxed a grounder to end it.
“Brock, he’s crafty, that’s the word for him,” Barber said. “He just gets up there and competes. It’s not overwhelming, but he keeps batters off balance and out front.
“Kudos to him for not getting down after the first innings and putting up zeros. He’s a competitor, and every time we’ve given him the ball it’s been a great game.”
After the Tigers scored those three runs in the first, La Grange battled to get two back in the half of the first.
Then the Leps took a 4-3 lead in the fourth when a pair of Smithville errors plated Ty Stark and Cody Kruse.
In the sixth inning La Grange added two more runs when the Tigers misplayed an outfield fly off the bat of Loehr to score pinch runner Austin Roe (who was running for Brigham Kelley, who had singled). Then Jaden Williams doubled to bring home Landon Little (who was pinch running for Loehr).
That was more than enough of a cushion for the Leps with the way Loehr was pitching, even as a light rain fell through the final three innings of the game.
“I normally pitch good in the rain, it’s weird,” Loehr said.
After the game, Barber awarded the game ball to junior catcher Kelley.
“He had a lot of learning to do behind the plate because this was his first year on varsity,” Barber said. “But how far he’s come in 17 games now is incredible.”
The Leps (7-10 overall) try to keep their momentum going at Smithville Friday.
District 22-4A baseball La Grange 2-0 Taylor 2-0 Giddings 1-1 Caldwell 1-1 Manor NT 0-2 Smithville 0-2