China Spring Knocks Off Sinton in Record Setting 4A Semifinal

China Spring scored 4 runs in the 12th inning to defeat #1 Sinton 8-4.   The win puts China Spring in the 4A Championship game at Disch-Falk Thursday against Texarkana Liberty-Eylau.   The 12 inning game set a record for the longest UIL State Tournament game.

China Spring got on the board first in the top of the 2^nd.  After a walk and a hit batter, Jacob Klement hit a two out triple to score both baserunners and China Spring took an early 2-0 lead.

Sinton scored in a very similar fashion in the bottom of the third.  After two walks, Nick Flores laced a two out triple that scored both runs and tied the game.

After a scoreless 4^th, China Spring regained the lead in the 5^th.  Klement walked, moved to second on a Mason Kirk single and scored on a throwing error to give China Spring a 3-2 lead.

Sinton answered the China Spring run with a run of their in the bottom of the 5^th.  After Jaquae Stewart singled, Kash Wood hit a one out double that scored courtesy runner Jarren Martinez and once again the scored was tied.

China Spring was not deterred.  And they scored in a dramatic moment.  JC Hughes singled up the middle.  After a strikeout, courtesy runner Ryan Hale advanced to second on a groundout.  With two outs, Sinton brought to the mound Texas Gatorade Player of the Year Blake Mitchell to face Braxton Bowers who had entered the game in the previous inning and was batting for the first time in the game.  Bowers battled Mitchell for 8 pitches, including 4 foul balls, before hitting a single to centerfield scoring Hale and giving China Spring their lead back, 4-3.

The score remained 4-3 until the bottom of the 7th when Aiden Moody doubled home Kash Wood to tie the game and send it into extra innings.

Both teams had their chances in the extra innings.  China Spring loaded the bases with no outs in the 8th inning before Moody got a struck out, a force out at home and a fly ball to end the threat.  Sinton had the bases loaded in the 9th with one before they hit into a 4-6-3 double play.

But China Spring finally broke the extra inning ice in the 12th inning.  With runners on 2nd and 3rd with one out, Braxton Bowers squeeze bunted a run home.  Dillon Bowers bunted home another run to make it 6-4 and Mason Kirk hit a 2 RBI double, his fourth hit of the night. for insurance runs giving China Spring a 8-4 lead.

J.C. Hughes came in to pitch for China Spring in the bottom of the 12th.  After an opening walk, he shut down the next batters giving China Spring the big win over the nationally ranked Pirates.

“I would like to say we were the tougher team,” Coach Cory Beckham explained.  “But they were equally as tough.  It was a tough battle and I’m so glad we came out on top.  I can’t say how proud I am of our players.  It was big that our players executed those bunts in the last inning.  I can’t say how happy I am for these guys.”

Mason Kirk was 4-7 on the night with a double and 2 RBIs.  He was name the THSB 4A Semifinal MVP.

“We had confidence in our ourselves,” Kirk stated. “We knew they were a really good team.  I was seeing the ball really well tonight but so was many of our players.  We just keep fighting.  We have fought to comeback before and we did it again tonight.”