The game started off like it was going to be a dog fight but became a one-sided affair as Northland Christian cruised to a 8-2 win over Pasadena First Baptist in the 1st TAPPS Division IV Semifinal Game. Northland Christian will now meet the winner of the Lubbock Christian/Temple Christian semifinal game for the TAPPS Division IV Championship tomorrow afternoon.
Northland Christian started off the scoring in the top of the 1st when Ben Harrison scored on an error and Micah Hall scored on a Tyler Carnes RBI. But Pasadena First Baptist responded with two runs of their own. Canon Thompson scored on a bases loaded walk and Jonas Laredo had an RBI single.
But after the first inning, it was all Northland Christian. The Cougars scored 3 in the top of the 3rd on a 2 RBI single by Cole Carnes and another RBI single from Tyler Carnes. Then they scored another run in the 5th when Micah Hall scored on a wild pitch. Then scored two more runs in the 5th as Brennan Kettle scored on an error and Harrison scored on a Hall RBI single.
Pitcher Tyler Carnes had a rough start giving up 3 hits and 2 runs in the first inning while throwing 30 pitches. But he settled down the rest of the way and gave up only 3 more hits through the rest of the contest. He ended up giving up 2 runs on 6 hits with 4 strikeouts and 2 walks. “In the first inning I was just trying to find my rhythm and I just wasn’t having the command I wanted,” Carnes explained. “But I came out in the second inning and relaxed and tried not to let the moment get too big. I just focused on filling up the strike zone and let my defense work.”
Carnes was also 3-4 at the plate with 2 RBIs. He was named the THSB Player of the Game.
Northland Christian Head Coach Bear Bay had this to say about the game. “I knew this was going to be a good game and they are a well-coached team. Our guys didn’t freak out in that first inning. They just said, ‘Ok. Back to Business. Let’s just do what we’ve done all year.’ They kept calm. That was the big thing to the game.”
Northland Christian also had 9 Stolen Bases in the game led by Micah Hall’s 3 SB.
THSB Player of the Game – Tyler Carnes
