BB: Mustangs squeeze past Bulldogs in 3
(Photo by Ray Jackson)
TATUM, Tx – Overton’s baseball team has bashed its way to the region final round.
Barely.
The Mustangs scored 32 runs on 32 hits in two games on Saturday. This included 13 runs in the second game, which was just enough as they held off a bottom of the seventh inning rally by Garrison for a 13-12 win in Game 3 of the Class A Region III semifinal series at Tatum Eagle Park. The Mustangs win the best the best-of-three series 2-1 because they slugged their way to a 19-13 win in Game 2 earlier in the day.
In the sixth inning of Game 3, Overton scored four runs to take a 13-3 lead, ironically concluded by a two-run single to left by Austin McCasland because of his role later in the game. Garrison scored four runs off Overton starter Tyler Rhodes in the sixth inning before McCasland relieved him.
In the seventh inning, two Overton errors set up Brady Bush, who smashed a three-run homer to left. Cody Kile followed with a one-out single and Bryan Bush beat out a two-out infield hit to set up Dalton Robertson, who hit a two-run double to right-centerfield.
Facing the winning run at the plate however, McCasland regrouped and got Dustin Strahan, who hit three doubles in the series, to fly out to center on a 3-2 count to end the game. McCasland pitched in all three games of the series, closing out the second and third games although he didn’t receive a save for either one.
“I was shaking when it was 13-12. It was anxiety,” McCasland said. “I threw him nothing but fastballs. I just told myself to keep it out of his wheelhouse.
Overton (26-8) advances to the region final round for the second time in three years, advancing to the Class A state semifinals in 2009.
This time around should be considerably more emotional for the Mustangs as their opponent will be arch rival Carlisle, which also rallied to win its respective semifinal series against Douglass 2-1 thanks to 11-1 and 6-3 victories in Bullard.
The time(s), date(s), site(s) and length of the Overton-Carlisle series are to be determined. The winner between Overton and Carlisle will advance to the state semifinals on June 8 at Dell Diamond in Round Rock.
“Playing Carlisle is going to be something else. It will be a big deal for the kids,” Overton head coach Travis Jackson said. “Part of me doesn’t want to see one team lose, and that applies for both teams.”
Saturday was a day of redemption for Overton’s offense after getting just three hits in Thursday’s 2-0 loss in Game 1.
A key element was being aggressive early as the Mustangs scored five runs in the first inning of both games. Spencer Wright, Trent Carpenter and Derek Graham each had a RBI single in the first inning of Game 3.
Garrison (24-10-3) got two runs back in the bottom of the second inning, but Dalton Jeffers hit a two-run single in the third inning to give Overton a 7-2 lead. The Mustangs extended their lead to 9-3 in the fourth on a bases-loaded walk by Graham and a suicide-squeeze bunt single by Logan Rhoades.
Jackson said his team’s practice on Friday was nothing but hitting, with extra focus on hitting to the opposite field, curveballs and jumping on hittable pitches early in the count. Two leaders in the hitting game were Wright, who was 6-for-11 on Saturday, and Carpenter, who was 5-for-9 on Saturday after going 0-for-4 on Thursday.
“We just focused on the ball better,” Carpenter said. “We kept it on the ground and out of the air, because if you hit it in the wind, there would be a lot of easy outs.”
Wright and Carpenter had three hits each in Game 3 while Jeffers had two. This helped provide enough offense for Tyler Rhodes (5-2), who pitched 5 1/3 innings for the win. Rhodes allowed seven runs (four earned) and seven hits with one strikeout.
Garrison freshman pitcher Cameron Rodriguez (5-2) had seven strikeouts over four innings, but allowed nine runs (six earned), nine hits and five walks in taking the loss. Bryan Bush, who pitched the three-hit shutout on Thursday, pitched the last three innings, but Overton equaled that total in the sixth inning when it scored four runs.
Garrison also had a big hitting day in defeat, scoring 25 runs on 24 hits. Brady Bush was 7-for-9 on Saturday, getting hits on his first six at-bats. Robertson was 3-for-5 with three RBIs on Saturday while Bryan Bush and Nathan Burkhalter had two hits each.
Jackson said he was pleased with his team’s pitching on Saturday, especially in Game 3, but his team also made nine errors in the two games.
“We made too many errors, especially in the infield,” Jackson said. “It’s something we need to work on next week.”
Jackson said Saturday is a day he will need to recover from.
“I’m having heart palpitations right now,” Jackson said. “The last game was one of the most exciting things I have ever been through.
“It’s really exhausting.”
FIRST INNING
Jeffers led off the top of the inning with a double down the left-field line. With one out, Garrison shortstop Hunter Key could not handle a Rhodes grounder, allowing Jeffers to score. Wright and Carpenter followed with a RBI single each. Graham made it 5-0 on a two-out RBI single to right.
GAME 2
OVERTON 19, GARRISON 13 - Led by Greg Moore, Overton’s hitting game came back with a vengeance after struggling on Thursday. Moore was 4-for-5 with a double, driving in five runs.
Overton’s first six batters got hits, including RBI doubles by McCasland and Rhodes as well as a RBI triple down the right-field line by Wright, who finished 3-for-5 with a double and two RBIs. Jesse Roach added a RBI single as Overton scored five runs in the top of the first.
Garrison struck back with three runs in the bottom of the first, including a two-run single by Brady Bush, who was 5-for-5 (all singles) in the game with two RBIs. Overton got its cushion back in the second inning by capped by a two-run double by Rhoades in the right-field corner. Overton would lead by at least six runs the rest of the game.
Overton had 19 hits, with every starter getting at least one each, including two each by Rhodes, Roach, Carpenter, Graham and Rhoades. Every Overton starter except for leadoff hitter Jeffers had at least one RBI each.
Roach (7-2) pitched 4 2/3 innings for the win. Roach allowed nine runs (eight earned), 10 hits and three walks with three strikeouts. Russell Carrell (6-4) took the loss for Garrison. In 3 1/3 innings, Carrell allowed 13 runs (11 earned), 13 hits and three walks while striking out three.
Garrison had 13 hits for the game, with Rodriguez going 3-for-4 with two doubles. Burkhalter did not have an at-bat for Garrison, drawing five walks and scoring four runs.
CLASS A REGION III SEMIFINAL BEST-OF-3 SERIES
GAME 2
OVERTON 19, GARRISON 13
Overton 553 024 0 = 19 19 3
Garrison 310 233 1 = 13 13 5
Roach, Lee (5), McCasland (7) and Ty. Rhodes, Rhoades (7). Carrell, Strahan (3) and Strahan, Burkhalter (3). W – Roach (7-2). L – Carrell (6-4). 2B – O: McCasland, Ty. Rhodes, Rhoades, Wright, Moore; G: Rodriguez 2. Strahan. 3B – O: Wright. Records – Overton 25-8, Garrison 24-9-3.
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GAME 3
OVERTON 13, GARRISON 12
Overton 502 204 0 = 13 13 6
Garrison 021 004 5 = 12 11 3
Ty. Rhodes, McCasland (6) and Rhoades. Rodriguez, Bry. Bush (5) and Strahan. W – Ty. Rhodes (5-2). L – Rodriguez (5-2) . 2B – O: Jeffers, Wright; G: Bra. Bush, Key, Robertson. HR – G: Bra. Bush (7th, 2 on). Records – Overton 26-8, Garrison 24-10-3. Up next – Overton vs. Carlisle in Class A Region III final round.