MacArthur baseball wins third in NEISD Tourney

Gage Creswell shuts out South San 4-0

by Mark Kusenberger
SAsports.com Senior Writer

Gage Creswell twirled a two-hit shutout, and MacArthur took advantage of 5 South San errors in defeating the Bobcats 4-0 for third place in the North East Tournament Saturday afternoon.

Creswell (1-1) finished off the Bobcats on just 76 pitches; he needed more than 9 pitches to get through an inning only twice, in the first and the third. Creswell struck out four, gave up two hits, walked two, and hit one batter. Thanks to a caught stealing and three double plays, Creswell faced only one batter over the minimum.

South San never got the leadoff man on base. Rudolfo Barrientez drew a two-out walk in the third, only to be picked off by Creswell, 1-3-6. Since the shortstop Siller got the putout, Barrientez was officially caught stealing.

South San (6-4) catcher Ezequiel Garcia reached base three times - his teammates combined reached only twice – but his courtesy runner Brandon Gauna was stranded only once. In the fourth, Garcia laced a one-out single up the middle, then Aldo Botello hit a smash deep into the right field gap. Once right fielder Shane Potts made the long run and the catch, Gauna was already around second; Potts completed the double play by throwing Gauna out at first by fifty feet.

After three shutout innings by South San starter Jay Martinez, MacArthur (4-4-3, 1-0 in 26-5A) took advantage of defensive lapses behind reliever Rene Gallegos (0-1.) Andrew Huerta led off the fourth being hit by a pitched, then stole second. Two outs later, Michael Colorado walked, then Potts hit a grounder to second. Jason Baladez bobbled the ball then rushed the throw; the two-base error scored Huerta and put Colorado at third and Potts at second. Mario Siller’s singled to left to score Colorado and make it 2-0, then Scott Cecil’s infield single scored Potts to put Mac ahead 3-0.

MacArthur’s last run also capitalized on South San miscues. Potts led off the sixth with a single to left, then pinch hitter Jordan Espinoza reached on a error by the shortstop Juan de Alejandro to put runners on first and second. With the count 1-0 to pinch hitter Ryan Berlanga, South San sent the first baseman Aldo Botello in to defend a bunt. Berlanga swung and missed; the catcher Garcia threw to first, where second baseman Baladez was covering while Botello charged; Baladez tagged out Espinoza to pick him off.

On the play, Potts went to third. He scored when Berlanga, still at bat, lofted a ball to center field; center fielder Gabriel Montez dropped the ball to allow Berlanga to reach safely. Since the official scorer ruled that Potts would have scored even if the ball were caught, Berlanga was awarded a sacrifice fly.

MacARTHUR 0 0 0 3 0 1 0 - 4 6 0
SOUTH SAN 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 0 2 3

Pitching lines IP H R ER BB HBP K PC

MacArthur (4-4-3, 1-0 in 26-5A)
Creswell (W, 1-1) 7 2 0 0 2 1 4 76

South San (6-4)
Jay Martinez 3 2 0 0 1 1 0 64
Rene Gallegos (L,0-1) 3 3 4 0 2 1 2 54
Rudolfo Barrientez 1 1 0 0 0 0 2 18

Churchill baseball runners-up in NEISD Tourney

Austin Bowie defeats Chargers 8-3 for Tournament Championship

by Mark Kusenberger
SAsports.com Senior Writer

Five Bowie hitters pounded out two hits apiece as the Austin Bowie Bulldogs defeated Churchill 8-3 Saturday evening for the North East Tournament Championship.

After ace Michael Kraft got the win against #1 Reagan on Wednesday, Churchill pitchers had thrown three straight shutouts in the North East Tournament: Reed Kirksey against San Antonio Christian, J.C. Myers over Clark, and James Kemp versus South San. But this is baseball, and such things never last.

Bowie (7-1) started the scoring with a two-run homer by Jacob Ledesma. They tried for more in the fourth, but as crafty as veteran Bowie coach Rudy Alvarez can be, Churchill coach Chad Marshall outfoxed him that inning.

Hugo Reyna led off with a single. After Michael Soliz fouled off two bunts, then struck out, Reyna stole second and went to third on a balk. Catcher Zach Grant drew a walk to put runners on first and third.

With the count 2-0 to Kevin Mayo, Alvarez called for the suicide squeeze play. Marshall called a pitchout, and R.J. Recio tagged out Reyna for the second out.

One pitch later, pitcher Robert Dominquez caught Grant’s courtesy runner Trey Sanchez stealing, 1-3-6, to end the inning.

Churchill (9-2, 2-0 in 26-5A) scored in the fourth when Travis Jackson hit a leadoff double into the right field gap, went to third when the catcher threw away the ball trying to pick him off second, and scored on a balk. The Chargers tied the game when Dustin Aguilar drew a leadoff walk, stole second, and scored one out later when Reed Kirksey’s grounder led to two throwing errors by the Bowie defense.

Bowie took the lead for good without a hit in the sixth. Matthew Morgan was hit by a pitch from J.J. de la Garza (0-1), then Matthew Boswell drew a seven-pitch walk. Both runners advanced on a passed ball; one out later, they advanced again on a wild pitch, with Morgan scoring to give Bowie the lead 3-2. Boswell scored on a sacrifice fly from Michael Soliz to make it 4-2.

Bowie added four runs in the ninth, a rally highlighted by Boswell’s two-run double. Aguilar singled and scored on a Norm Bodet base hit for Churchill’s final run in the bottom of the seventh.

The Bulldogs’ two-run no-hit rally in the sixth made a winner of Brandon Villasana (1-0), who stranded sixth runners in his five innings of work. Weston Wolfe pitched the last two innings for the save.

BOWIE 2 0 0 0 0 2 4 - 8 12 3
CHURCHILL 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 - 3 6 0

Pitching lines IP H R ER BB HBP K PC

Bowie
Brandon Villasana (W,1-0) 5 3 2 1 4 0 5 91
Weston Wolfe (Sv) 2 3 1 1 1 0 1 44

Churchill (9-2, 2-0 in 26-5A)
Sean Syring 3 5 2 2 1 0 1 54
Robert Dominquez 2 2 0 0 1 0 1 28
J.J. de la Garza (L, 0-1) 1-2/3 4 6 5 2 0 2 50
Grant Cofield 0-1/3 1 0 0 1 0 1 11

Baseball: Bobcats over Raiders

South San defeats Taft 8-2 in North East Tournament

by Mark Kusenberger
SAsports.com Senior Writer

The South San Bobcats, led by Aldo Botello’s five-hitter, defeated the Taft Raiders 8-2 Thursday morning at North East Stadium in North East Tournament Action.

Botello (1-1), depending mostly on offspeed pitches, went the distance on the hill for South San (6-2). Botello also had a two-run double in the fifth inning which padded the Bobcats’ lead to 8-2.

Taft (2-6, 1-1 in 28-5A) scored first when Ryan Rodriguez led off the top of the first with a single, went to second on a groundout, then one out later scored on a basehit up the middle by Mason Lansdale.

South San responded in the bottom of the first, manufacturing runs the way South San is known for. With one out, Gabriel Montez was hit by a pitch, then went to third on a hit-and-run single to center by Ezequiel Garcia. Then, with an 0-2 count, South San called for the delayed steal of home; courtesy runner Brandon Gauna broke for second, drawing a throw from the catcher; once the throw was released, Montez broke for home, sliding under a high throw from the second baseman to tie the game.

With Gauna now at second, Jay Martinez drew a walk. Both runners advanced on a passed ball, then scored on a single to left by Robert Zamora.

South San added two more runs with a two-out rally in the second. With two out, Rudolfo Barrientez struck out, but strike three got away from the catcher; the catcher’s throw to first was wild for an error, allowing Barrientez to reach first. Montez doubled the next pitch over the left-fielder’s head, scoring Barrientez. On the throw home, Montez broke for third; the catcher’s throw went away from the third baseman, allowing Montez to circle the bases on the play, making it 5-1 South San.

Taft scored their second run in the third when Matt Guerrero doubled and scored on a single by Ryan Rodriguez. Zamora added an RBI-single in the third, and Botello slashed his two-run double down the line past the third baseman in the fifth.

Botello retired the last seven hitters he faced to close out the game.

TAFT 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 - 2 5 3

SOUTH SAN 3 2 1 0 2 0 x - 8 8 2

Pitching lines IP H R ER BB HBP K PC

Taft
David Gonzales (L) 6 8 8 6 3 1 1 98

South San
Aldo Botello 7 5 2 2 1 0 4 101

Baseball: Kirksey clocks Lions

Reed Kirksey leads Churchill to run-rule victory over San Antonio Christian

by Mark Kusenberger
SAsports.com Senior Writer

Reed Kirksey threw a one-hit shutout and hit a two-run homer, leading the Churchill Chargers to a 10-0 victory in five innings over the San Antonio Christian Lions Thursday morning at North East Stadium.

The game was the opener of North East Baseball Tournament action.

Kirksey (2-0) needed only 63 pitches for the complete game, often blowing his fastball by Lions hitters. Kirksey struck out eight and walked none, and allowed only two baserunners. Marshal Trainer led off the third with a fly ball to left field which appeared misjudged; the Churchill left fielder made a long, winding run to the ball and despite a frantic stab at the ball, could not control it; the official scorer ruled it a double. Ethan Catalani led off the fifth with a grounder to third, which the third baseman threw into the dirt for an error.

Trainer was stranded at third after a grounder and two strikeouts; Catalani was erased on a force play.

Churchill (7-1, 2-0 in 26-5A) had defeated Reagan in a district game the night before, then had to return to North East Stadium for a 9:30 first pitch against San Antonio Christian. After stranding two baserunners in the first, they sent twelve Chargers to the plate in the second; Eric Moritz had two hits, scored a run, and stole base during the inning. Kirksey added his homer to left in the third, giving Churchill their ten-run margin to shorten the game.

Every Charger played in the ball game, as Churchill coach Chad Marshall used four pinch hitters in the bottom of the fourth, then four defensive substitutes in the top of the fifth. Moritz, Kirksey, and Matt Fewell each had two hits for Churchill.

San Antonio Christian (2-4, 2-0 in TAPPS 3-4A) dressed thirteen players; since they used a designated hitter, that left only three players on their bench. Lions coach Bryan Boynton showed some creative use of players in the fifth. After pitcher Catalani reached on an error to lead off the fifth, Boynton sent in Jackson Hale as a courtesy runner. The next batter, Austin Contrestano, hit into a force play, retiring Hale. Hale immediately reentered the ballgame as a pinch runner for Constrestano.

SAN ANTONIO CHRISTIAN 0 0 0 0 0 - 0 1 3

CHURCHILL 0 8 2 0 X - 10 12 1

Pitching lines IP H R ER BB HBP K PC

San Antonio Christian
Ethan Catalani (L, 1-1) 4 12 10 9 2 0 2 88

Churchill
Reed Kirksey (W, 2-0) 5 1 0 0 0 0 8 63

Baseball: Owls and Brahmas tie

Highlands, MacArthur combined for four hits in 1-1 game

by Mark Kusenberger
SAsports.com Senior Writer

MacArthur’s Mario Siller twirled a three-hitter, and Highlands’ Joel Camacho and Rory Rivera combined to one-hit MacArthur as the teams played to a 1-1 tie Thursday afternoon in North East Tournament action at Paul Lindy Field.

Siller and Camacho each had no-hitters through four innings. Siller’s was broken up when Travis Bailey stroked a one-out single to right in the top of the fifth. Bailey went to second on a wild pitch, to third on a basehit up the middle by Jeff Cavazos, and scored on another wild pitch. Cavazos was stranded at second after Jonathan Valentine flied out to right and Joel Camacho struck out to end the inning.

MacArthur (2-3-2, 1-0 in 26-5A) tied the game in the bottom of the fifth. After third baseman Valentine made a terrific play on an Andrew Huerta grounder for the first out, Siller waked, then went to second when Cecil hit a clean single to right for MacArthur’s only hit of the game. Tommy Moore walked to load the bases, then Highlands coach Mike Perez brought in Rory Rivera to pitch, sending Camacho to center field and removing Sammy Gonzales from the game. Rivera gave up a sacrifice fly to center by Patrick Ward which tied the game, then retired Ryan Belanga on a grounder to second to end the threat.

The last baserunner for Highlands (3-4-1) was Chris Pacheco, who led off the sixth with a single to left. Siller struck out Jonathan Armijo, then got Greg Contreras to hit into a 4-6-3 double play to end the frame.

MacArthur also failed to score the rest of the game, but one failed threat constituted progress. In the third and fourth inning, MacArthur got the leadoff man aboard – for one whole pitch. Each time, the next man up attempted to sacrifice but bunted and missed, allowing catcher Contreras to pick off each runner at first. In the sixth, Gage Creswell was hit by a 2-0 pitch to lead it off. Tyler Schnuriger successfully sacrificed his courtesy runner Shane Potts to second. Ironically, Potts was stranded there.

The unusual setting may have had something to do with the poor hitting. Instead of a standard wooden, solid outfield fence with a hitter’s backdrop, Lindy Field’s outfield is chain link, with MacArthur High School’s main building as a backdrop.

For tournament scheduling purposes, MacArthur was treated as the winner. Each team advanced two runners to third; MacArhur came out ahead by advancing 8 runners to second to Highlands’ three.

HIGHLANDS 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 - 1 3 2

MacARTHUR 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 - 1 1 3

Pitching lines IP H R ER BB HBP K PC

Highlands (3-4-1)
Joel Camacho 4-1/3 1 1 1 6 1 3 83
Rory Rivera 2-2/3 0 0 0 1 1 0 36

MacArthur
Mario Siller 7 3 1 1 0 1 7 95

Baseball: Clark powers Madison past Taft

Mavericks defeats Raiders 14-7 in 6; rematch Saturday

by Mark Kusenberger
SAsports.com Senior Writer

Brandon Clark belted two doubles and a homer to lead the Madison Mavericks to a 14-7 victory over Taft in six innings at the Muleyard.

It was Taft’s fourth game in a twenty-four hour span; their first game in the Gaylard Fenley Classic against MacArthur began at 2:33 on Thursday; their fourth game against Madison ended at 2:10 on Friday.

Clark doubled and scored in the first, hit a three-run homer in the fourth, and doubled and scored in the sixth to go 3 for 4.

Madison (3-1-1, 0-1 in 26-5A) fell behind early on an RBI single by Mason Lansdale. But Clark led off the bottom of the first with a double, and scored on a single by Austin Eichmann. Eichmann would later score on a throwing error to put Madison ahead 2-1.

Taft’s Travis Thompson (0-1) had five assists and a putout in the first two innings. The putout came on a popped up bunt, which Thompson caught, then threw to first to retire the runner for a double play.

Taft (2-3, 1-0 in 28-5A) retook the lead on a two-run single by David Gonzalez, then built it to 4-2 when Lansdale scored on a passed ball. Madison took the lead for good with a six-run fourth, featuring a two-run single by Bryan Myler and a three-run homer by Clark.

Madison’s Reagan Reed did something that could only happen in tournament play; he earned a pitching save on the base paths. Reed went from first base to the mound in relief of starter Dylan Kemper (1-0) in the top of the fifth with Madison leading 8-4 and the tying run on deck. After a double-play ball erased one of the two base runners, Kemper yielded a towering RBI double by Lansdale and a scorching two-run homer to Gonzalez. The score was 8-7, but Reed had held Madison’s lead.

Then in the bottom of the sixth, Reed was on first when Travis Dominguez doubled into the left-field corner to drive in three runs and put Madison ahead 14-7, activating the tournament run rule and making Madison the winner. And Reed had his save.

Madison went undefeated through the tournament at 3-0-1, and will be the first seed for Saturday’s action. Taft tied for fourth with Bastrop at 1-3; by virtue of Taft’s victory over Bastrop, Taft is the fourth seed and Bastrop is eliminated. Madison and Taft will play Saturday at 9:30 in the tournament semifinals.

TAFT 1 0 3 0 0 0 - 7 7 1
MADISON 2 0 0 6 2 4 - 14 13 1

Pitching lines IP H R ER BB HBP K PC
Taft
Travis Thompson (L) 5.2 13 14 13 5 0 2 110

Madison
Dylan Kemper (W) 4 5 5 5 3 0 1 83
Reagan Reed (Sv) 2 2 2 2 1 0 1 22

Brahmas tromp on Raiders

MacArthur rallies from 4-0 deficit for 11-4 victory over Taft

by Mark Kusenberger
SAsports.com Senior Writer

Tommy Moore’s five RBIs led the MacArthur Brahmas to an 11-4 victory over the Taft Raiders Thursday afternoon at the Muleyard.

Moore went 3 for 4 with a pair of two-run doubles and also scored a run for MacArthur (2-0-1, 1-0 in 26-5A).

Initially, it appeared Taft (1-1, 1-0) would take control when they got to eventual winner pitcher Nick Gonzalez (1-0). With runners at first and third and one out in the top of the first, Mason Lansdale singled home Ryan Rodriguez to put the Raiders ahead. David Gonzalez followed by doubling over the center fielder’s head to score courtesy runner Thomas Costigan, then Christian Garza doubled down the first base line to score Lansdale and Gonzalez. Before Taft took the field for defense, they led 4-0.

Unfortunately for the Raiders, Chris Johnson (0-1) would struggle on the hill. Ten Brahmas batted in the first inning, which Johnson needed 49 pitches to labor through. Mario Siller, Scott Cecil, Tommy Moore, and Patrick Ward each had hits, then Michael Colorado, Tyler Schnuriger, and Andrew Huerta drew walks, all with nobody out. Moore’s hit was a two-run double, and Schnuriger and Huerta’s walks drove in runs. Johnson did get out of the jam with two strikeouts and a fielder’s choice grounder, but by then the game was tied at 4.

MacArthur again sent 10 batters to the plate in the third. Schnuriger reached on a wild pitch strike three to lead off the inning, then stole second. One out later, Gage Creswell blooped a single behind second base, with Schnuriger holding at second. Schnuriger and courtesy runner Garret Munoz pulled off a double steal, setting up Ryan Belanga’s sacrifice fly to score Schnuriger and giving MacArthur their first lead. Siller was hit by a pitch to load the bases, then Cecil doubled home Munoz and Siller to made it 7-4. Cecil scored on a single by Moore to make it 8-4.

The Brahmas added three more runs off reliever Devin Mutchler on a sacrifice fly by Cecil and Moore’s second two-run double.

The Gaylard Fenley Classic matchup was stopped after four and a half innings due to tournament time limit.

TAFT 4 0 0 0 0 - 4 6 2
MacARTHUR 4 0 4 3 X -11 10 3

Pitching lines IP H R ER BB HBP K PC
Taft
Chris Johnson (L, 0-1) 2-2/3 8 8 8 5 1 3 97
Devin Mutchler 1-1/3 2 3 0 0 0 1 30

MacArthur
Nick Gonzalez (W,1-0) 3-2/3 5 4 4 3 1 3 79
Michael Saenz (Sv) 1-1/3 1 0 0 1 0 0 28

Mules tame wild Bears

Three-run rally gives Alamo Heights 6-5 win over Bastrop

by Mark Kusenberger
SAsports.com Senior Writer

Adrian Nadeau scored from third on a wild pitch to complete a three-run rally in the bottom of the seventh, giving the Alamo Heights Mules a 6-5 victory over the Bastrop Bears Friday afternoon at the Muleyard in a Gaylard Fenley Classic contest.

The rally made a winner of Garrett Rose (1-0), who threw two shutout innings in relief of starter pitcher Nadeau. Nadeau moved to left field when Rose came in to pitch.

Alamo Heights (2-0) trailed 5-3 going to the bottom of the ninth. Luke Maloy led off with a single to right, then went to second on a wild pitch from Colton Tucker. Tucker walked Mike Warren, then threw consecutive wild pitches to score Maloy, making it 5-4, and advancing Warren to third as the tying run with nobody out. Nadeau, still on the hook as the losing pitcher when he came to bat in the seventh, fouled off three pitched before doubling to the left field wall to drive in Warren and tie the game.

With the go-ahead run at second, Bastrop intentionally walked Chris Bennert. Nick Lerick bunted the runners ahead one base for out #1, then Bastrop intentionally walked Connor Hedges to load the bases.

Although Bastrop’s left-handed left fielder, Jaryd Hodgson, had left the ballgame to warm up in the bullpen, Bastrop coach Mark Williams left Tucker on the hill to face the left-handed hitting Zach Cleveland. Tucker’s first pitch to Cleveland bounced in the dirt for Tucker’s fourth wild pitch of the inning; Nadeau scored easily to give Alamo Heights the win.

Bastrop took the early lead by scoring two runs in the first without a hit, then extended it in the third when Justin Froncek tripled home Pete Rodriguez, then scored himself on a wild pitch.

Maloy cut the deficit to 4-1 with an RBI single in the third, but Bastrop got the run back when Hodgson walked, took second and third on wild pitches, and scored on an errant pickoff throw.

Maloy, who went 3-4 with a double, an RBI, and two runs scored, led off the fifth with a double, then scored when Warren reached on a three-base throwing error. Foreshadowing the game’s ending, Warren scored on a wild pitch to bring the Mules within 5-3.

BASTROP 2 0 2 1 0 0 0 - 5 6 2
ALAMO HEIGHTS 0 0 1 0 2 0 3 - 6 7 5

Pitching lines IP H R ER BB HBP K PC
Bastrop
Cade Staton 4 5 3 2 3 0 2 70
Colton Tucker (L) 2-1/3 2 3 3 3 0 3 43

Alamo Heights
Adrian Nadeau 5 3 5 1 2 0 6 94
Garrett Rose (W, 1-0) 2 3 0 0 1 0 1 26

Girls basketball playoffs: Jay 54, New Braunfels 45 - In Pictures

Photos by Antonio Morano
SAsports.com Senior Photographer
www.moranomemories.photoreflect.com
amorano@satx.rr.com

The Jay Mustangs girls basketball team met their toughest match yet in the playoffs on Tuesday night at UTSA, when they faced off with New Braunfels.

But the Mustangs extended their winning streak to 20 games, defeating the Unicorns 54-45 at UTSA.

More photos are available for viewing:
www.moranomemories.photoreflect.com
amorano@satx.rr.com

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