Clifton advances to first-ever state championship
It’s the Clifton Cubs’ first time at the state tournament, and they’re not just happy to be here. Clifton (30-6-1) used timely hitting and a great pitching performance to get by number one Gateway Prep (34-4) in the 3A semifinals from the Dell Diamond in Round Rock, 5-2.
The two teams were even through three innings before Clifton struck for four of their five runs in the top of the fourth. It was a promising start, with a lead off triple by Mason Brandenberger followed by Riley Perry reaching first to have runners on the corners with nobody out.
The Gators appeared that they were going to get out of it, as starting pitcher Taylor Smith struck out two batters and had the bases loaded with two out. It was all up to Cubs second baseman Jackson Phillips to produce. The junior had a 3-1 count and took a fastball on the outside corner for a strike. He got a similar pitch on 3-2 and put the bat on the ball, driving in two runs with a single to the right fielder.
“I was not really trying to do too much in that situation,” said Phillips. “With two outs, you are just trying to get a hit and make something happen.”
“He just comes up big for us,” added coach Brian Slater. “That is the thing about this team. One through nine can get you at any point. If the top of the order is struggling that is fine because we have bottom of the order guys that can pick each other up.”
Clifton added on two more as a Fischer Pitts grounder to third ended up in left, extending the lead to 4-0.
Gateway Prep will probably look back at the very first inning of this ball game, as they had the very same situation and could not convert. Seth McAlister led off with a single to right and was quickly at third after a Rambusch ground ball to third was thrown into left. Clifton starter Carter Guinn, which had not lost a game all year at 8-0, settled down, striking out two in a row before getting Nick Chalman to fly out to center to end the early threat.
Gateway Prep generated a lone run in the fourth with an RBI double to the right-center gap by Chris Varljen and added on another with a Rambusch ground out to shortstop, but the Cubs produced again in the fifth on an RBI triple by Edgar Rodriguez.
Guinn did not allow anything through the final two innings of the ball game, retiring the side in order the final two frames. The senior scattered six hits through seven innings, gave up the two earned runs, walked just two and struck out five.
Clifton now advances to the state championship game on Saturday at 9:00 am. They will await the winner of Brock and Beckville from semifinal number two.
“It is a great opportunity,” said Jackson. “Our whole town is here and it’s a big deal for us and we’re going to go out and show them what we’ve got.”
Top hitting performances
Clifton
Jackson Phillips: 1-2, 2 RBI, 1 SAC
Fisher Pitts: 1-3, 2 RBI
Gateway Prep
Seth McAlister: 2-3, 1 R, 1 BB
Nick Chalman, 2-3, 1 R
Player of the Game: Jackson Phillips
| Score by innings | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
| Clifton | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 1 |
| Gateway Prep | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 1 |
