1A State Semi-Finals – New Home defeats Wells

Rain, rain go away, we have baseball games to play.  The clouds were lows, the wind was blowing slightly in, the 1A State Semi-Finals would begin with New Home in the field and Wells at bat.  This would be the second year in a row for New Home to play in Round Rock and the first time in school history for Wells.  In first inning jitters, Bode Stewart would hit the leadoff batter, Jakari Hadnot.  Followed by an error on the throw by shortstop, Zach Blizel and Wells would put runners at one and two.  Stewart would strike out the next three to end the inning.  Wells’ Jakari Hadnot would walk the first batter, hit the second batter then give up a triple to Bode Stewart before settling down and recording 3 strikeouts.  The first would end with New Home up by 2.

Wells would again get the leadoff runner on first due to a walk.  Tanner Glover would then steal 2^nd, advance to third on a wild pitch.  Another wild pitch and a failed run down would score Tanner.  With no outs in the second, the score was 1-2 New Home.  Stewart would then go strikeout, walk, strikeout and entice a weak flyball to first to end the top of 2.  New Home would go down in order with a strikeout then a 4-3 groundout.  Wells’s Garrett Allen (2B) would make a nice running catch on a line out to end the inning.

Things got really interesting in the third as Wells led off with a pair of singles.  A walk would load the bases then a hit by pitch scores Kaleb Parnell to tie the game.  Bode Stewart mitigates the damage with a couple of strikeouts and a fly ball to Kaleb Leclair at third.  Wells would get one back but leave the bases loaded managing to just score one after having bases loaded and no outs.  New Home went down quietly.  Jakari Hadnot would get 3 strikeouts allowing just one hit.

Bode Stewart got his first 1-2-3 inning in the top of the 4^th with a strikeout of Joshua Layton.  Alex Vitolas made a nice running catch in right field for out number two.  A strikeout of Kaleb Parnell would end the top of the 4^th.  New Home’s first 2 batters would go down quick.  With 2 outs, Tristan Truchlicka would walk.  A single and an error advances him to 3^rd.  Defensive indifference advances Ryan Weeks to second.  With runners on second and third, Ryan Bundy gets a clutch 2 out hit to score two.  At the end of the 4^th, New home would be up 4-2.

Wells made the top of the fifth interesting but couldn’t score.  They loaded this bases on a single, a walk and a hit by pitch, but could manage to sneak a run across the plate.  New home went down in order in the 5^th.  It was musical chairs in the top of 6 for New Home.  Bode Stweart went to catcher, Zach Blizel to mound, Ryan Weeks to short, Ryan Bundy to second.  Wells’ Joshua Layton would leadoff the 6^th with a double to left but get erased on the base path on a fielder’s choice.  A flyout to left field for out #2. Logan Tucker would leg out an infield single but Hadnot was gunned down at the plate trying to score by New Home First baseman Gabe Cantu.

Headed to the bottom of the 6^th it was 4-2 New Home.  Dylan Martinez would lead off with a walk then move up to 2nd on a wild pitch.  A walk and a passed ball would put runners on 2 and 3.  Tristan Truchlicka would single to score 1.  A failed bunt and then a walk would load the bases.  Logan Tucker would come in to pitch for Wells.  A walk scores another and a double by Bode Stewart added 2 more.  Not to be outdone, Blake Buckelew doubles to left field and adds on 2 more.  A single by Gabe Cantu would plate 2 more and be all that New Home would need to advance to play the winner of D’Hanis versus Dodd City.

WP – Bode Stewart (6-1) Save – Blizel

LP –  Jakari Hadnot (8-6)

Player of the Game:  Bode Stewart