2A State Semi Finals Game 1

New Home vs Valley Mills

The sun finally got behind the press box but it didn’t really cool anything off.  Game 3 would feature the Leopards versus the Eagles.  Both programs knocked off top tier competition to get here so this one promised to be a good game.  New Home would start Ashton Lucio with Ryan Bundy catching while Valley Mills would throw Thomas Perez with Elandis Taylor receiving balls and strikes.

Ryan Bundy would lead off with a single for New Home.  Hunter Watkins got a hold of one that looked like it would drop in but Valley Mills Centerfielder Josh Garcia made a nice over the shoulder catch for the first out.  A pop up and a ground out to short ends the top of the first.  Zach Blizel makes two highlight real plays in a row for two quick outs.  Ashton Lucio gets a strikeout swinging to end the inning.

The second inning would start with Ashton Lucio one hopping the wall in left field for a double.  Thomas Perez would then strike out Brody Emert.  A walk, another strikeout and a stolen base put runners at the corners for New Home.  That is all they would get as Thomas Perez got a lazy ground ball to SS Cason Johnson.  A easy flip to 2B Eli McNair ends the inning.  Lucio would walk the first two in the bottom on the second.  A strikeout records out number one but a backpick to first records a second big out.  A popout to Logan Addison at 3rd in foul territory ends the inning.

Ryan Bundy led off the top of the 3^rd with a single to left.  Hunter Watkins bloops one to left but Bundy has to hold up to make sure it drops and was thrown out at second. Perez then records his third strikeout for out number two.  He then recorded strikeout number four to end the top of the 3^rd.

Valley Mills would get things started in the bottom of the 3^rd.  Preston Montgomery lead off with a single followed by a walk and a great bunt by Eli McNair.  With the bases loaded, Cason Johnson hits ground ball to second to score Montgomery.  Only one out was recorded.  Bundy attempted to pick off the runner at 3^rd but the ball glanced off the glove into left field.  Taylor would score.  Jackson Raines overthrew 3^rd and Cason Johnson would also score for the Eagles.  A fly out to left and a line out to third ends the inning.

The 4^th would begin with another single by Lucio.  He was gunned down by Elandis Taylor trying to steal.  A strikeout and a fly out later and the Eagles would be back to bat.  The bottom of the 4^th started with a Kennett McLane single up the middle.  A sacrifice bunt by Braydon Richardson moves him to second but that is a far as her would get as the next two Eagles would pop out.  At the end of the 4^th, the score was 3-0 in favor of the Eagles.

The 5^th inning would begin with Reagan Fielder hammering a ball to third but Kaleb Kuligowski would pick it off the carpet for the out.  Singles by Jackson Raines and Ryan Bundy put runners on the corners.  Hunter Watkins laid down a nice bunt but was thrown out a first by Perez.   Jackson Raines scored and Bundy moved to second.  The inning ended with a popout to second baseman Eli McNair.  Lucio would have an outstanding bottom of the 5^th throwing just 6 pitches – F7/F6/F7 was the result.

Things got a little exciting in the top of the 6^th for the Leopards.  A flyout to center started the inning.  Lucio could single.  Dillon DeAnda would pinch in and single to left.  An error on the left fielder scored Lucio from second.  A pop out foul to the third baseman Kaleb Kuligowski would record out number two.  The Leopards would hit tow more singles and score another run before Cooper Ewing would take the mound for the Eagles and get a ground out to end the inning.  Reagan Fielder hit the single that scored Brody Emert to tied the game at 3.

In the bottom of the 6^th, Kaleb Kuligowski was hit by a pitch to leadoff the inning.   A wild pitch put him on second.  A passed ball put him on 3^rd.  Thomas Perez walked.  Zach Blizel would take the mound for the Leopards with no outs.  He would get two popouts but a wild pitch would score Kuligowski from 3^rd to give the Eagles a 4-3 lead headed to the 7^th.  It would just take 3 batters to record 3 outs.  Valley Mills would advance to the 2022 State Championship game to face the winner of Shiner versus Garrison.

WP – Perez
LP –  Lucio

Player of the Game:   Thomas Perez