RT-C & Flatonia Baseball Advance, Targac Hurls Perfect Game
Rusk Eliminates Leps Again
The La Grange baseball team saw its season come to an end at the hands of defending state runner-up Rusk Friday in a doubleheader loss in the area round of the 4A playoffs.
This marks the second consecutive season Rusk eliminated the Leps in this round, and the same two hurlers were responsible both seasons.
In Game 1, Vanderbilt University-signee JD Thompson pitched a no-hitter, striking out 13. Clay Wolff pitched a complete game seven-hitter with five strikeouts for the Leps.
In Game 2, Mason Cirkel pitched a complete game one-hitter with seven strikeouts. Kadyn Hall got the only hit for the Leps. La Grange’s Trenton Barnes allowed three runs over 5.2 innings.
RT-C Beats Bartlett; Faces Fayetteville Next
The Round Top-Carmine baseball team swept its second round playoff series over Bartlett last week, winning 15-3 and 14- 11.
RT-C (8-9) now advances to face neighbor and rival Fayetteville.
That series will be a best of three. A doubleheader will be held Wednesday at Fireman’s Park in Brenham beginning at 5 p.m.
If necessary, a Game 3 would be held Saturday at 2 p.m., site to be determined.
Fayetteville (which has a record of 16-8-2) knocked RT-C out of the baseball playoffs last season on the Lions’ road to the 1A state title and has beaten the Cubs in a pair of district meetings earlier this season.
The winner of this series plays the Knippa/D’Hanis winner for the regional title.
Against Bartlett in last week’s series opener, RTC’s Tanner Schobel pitched a complete game one-hitter with 13 strikeouts. Jacob Polasek hit two homers and a triple and drove in seven runs. Hunter Schobel also homered as part of a threehit game. Tanner Schobel, Alexander Estrada and Brayden Dallmeyer all had two hits in that game.
In the second game, Kannyn Goehring pitched six innings before Hunter Schobel pitched a scoreless inning of relief.
Jacob Polasek had two doubles a single and drove in four more runs.
Tanner Schobel and Judson Gold each drove in two runs. Hunter Schobel and Goehring each scored three runs.
Flatonia Baseball Advances
Titan Targac and Dayton Cliffe combined for 27 strikeouts in two games as the Flatonia Bulldogs won the 2A Baseball Area Championship Friday night against Evadale Rebels at Magnolia West High School. Cliffe turned in a stellar performance in Game 1 shutting the Rebels down with 15 strikeouts in 6.1 innings pitched, allowing only three hits, two walks and taking the victory 11-4. Beck Zimmerman, Keyshaun Greene, and Urial Manzano lead the offense attack with two hits each.
Game 2 saw perfection from freshman hurler Titan Targac as the Bulldogs closed out the nightcap and series 10-0 to move onto round three in the UIL Baseball playoffs. Targac faced the minimum of 15 batters in five innings and struck out 12 while not allowing anyone to reach base. Targac also achieved a milestone in recording his 100th strikeout of the season for the last out of the game.
The Bulldogs move on to play Mumford in the Regional Quarterfinals round. Date and Location TBD.
Flatonia Girls Knocked Out of Playoffs by Ganado
The Flatonia Lady Dog softball team was knocked out of the UIL playoffs in their Regional Quarterfinal playoff by the Ganado Maidens. Flatonia was the fourth place team out of District 29-2A, while Ganado was the undefeated district champion. Final score was Ganado 12 Flatonia 2.
The Lady Dogs were limited to just three hits by the Maiden pitcher, Macie Kolachy. All three hits came in the fourth inning when Flatonia scored their two runs. A single by Katherine Bruns led off the inning. Abby Drabek followed with a double down the left field line. A single laced up the middle by Laurel Betak plated both Bruns and Drabek.
Flatonia gave up twelve runs, but were all were unearned as the Lady Dogs committed seven fielding errors.
Annie Charanza pitched a fine ballgame in the circle for the Lady Dogs. She scattered nine hits, two intentional walks, and had five K’s.
Ganado will now advance to the Regional Semifinals to play the Thorndale Lady Bulldogs this week. The Weimar Lady Cats will also advance to play the Bremond Lady Tigers.
Weimar defeated Shiner in a best of three series, 11-0 and 3-2. All four District 29-2A softball teams advanced to the third round.