Brock Gets Victory in 3A Semifinal Wild Finish

Brock held on in a wild finish to beat London 5-2 and earn a berth in the 3A State Championship Final on Saturday. Brock will player the winner of the Franklin/Gunter game for the 3A State Title.

Brock got on the board first. In the second inning, Brock loaded the bases on 2 walks and a hit batter. Jesse Rusinek came up to bat with 2 outs and lined a single into right field just past London 1B Landon Salinas’outstretched glove. Courtesy runner Cannon Stephens and Jake Windle scored on the play to give Brock the 2-0 lead.

Brock starting pitcher Evan O’Connor shut out London for 5 innings on just 1 hit but got in trouble in the 6th. Landon Salinas and Christian Olivares led off with back to back singles. With one out, Blake Watters grounded to 3B but the throw went over the 1st baseman’s head scoring Salinas. Bradley Terry was then hit by a pitch to load the bases. With 2 outs, Aiden Salinas was hit by a pitch and AJ Valdez scored to tie the game heading into the 7th.

Brock, however, was primed for a big rally of their own. Canon Lightfoot walked and Sawyer Strosnider singled to start the 7th. Cam Harris was intentionally walked to load the bases. Cooper Massey drew a walk to score Lightfoot giving Brock their lead back. After a strike out, Jake Windle grounded to the pitcher and the throw home was wild scoring both pinch runner Wyatt Payton and Strosnider.

Brock took the 5-2 lead to the bottom of of the 7th. Relief Pitcher Cam Harris did load the bases on a walk and a couple of hit by pitches but got a foul out to 1B to end the game. Harris was the winning pitcher.

Jesse Rusinek was 2-4 with 2 doubles and 2 RBIs to lead Brock offensively. He was named the THSB Player of the Game.

“It was a crazy game,” Rusinek described the moment. “This is such a great place to play. But we came in with a chip on our shoulder because they have eliminated us the last couple of years. We just put it all together and got some big hits.”

“I think of the word relentless,” Head Coach Koby Page said about his team. “That is what this team is about. They are competitors. They dig in. They play hard and they are going to give you everything they have. They will give you heartburn during the week but they are going to give it their all when they are out on the field.”