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E-mail This StoryCOPPELL — The big inning led Carroll past a big hurdle Saturday, but the Dragons had a fight on their hands to the end.
Trailing by one run with two outs in the bottom of the seventh with the tying run at third base, Coppell had a chance to come back from a four-run deficit and force a third and deciding game in a Class 5A Region I quarterfinal baseball playoffs series.
Instead, Carroll closer Tanner Toal got freshman Adam Toth to ground out to second for the final out, completing the Dragons’ two-game sweep over Coppell, the No. 8 team in the Texas High School Baseball Coaches Association’s state poll.
With the 7-6 win, the Dragons (18-17) advance to the Region I-5A semifinal where they face the Amarillo (25-12) in a best-of-three regional semifinal playoff series. All games will be played at Midland’s CitiBank Park. Game 1 will be at 8 p.m. Friday. Game 2 will take place at 3 p.m. Saturday with a third game, if needed, following third minutes later. winner of a regional quarterfinal series between Paschal and Amarillo.
“I told (Toth) what a tough spot for a freshman to be in,” said Coppell coach Don English said. “He’s been with us all year and fought hard. He’s going to be a terrific player.”
Both games in the series were decided by a single run. Carroll won Game 1 Friday in Southlake, 2-1.
Coppell entered the bottom of the seventh trailing, 7-4, when Greg Higginbotham sparked a Coppell rally with a leadoff double off Carroll starter Ethan Cunningham. Toal came on in relief of Cunningham, but Chad Kettler followed with a walk and the Cowboys were in business when catcher Jonathan Walsh singled to right scoring Higginbotham, bringing the go-ahead run to the plate with nobody out.
Coppell’s Andy Pratt followed and drew a full count. He sent a smoking liner back up the middle. Carroll coach Larry Hughes said the ball hit Toal in the leg, but he was able to miraculously hang on and throw to second to try and get a double play, before falling to the ground in pain.
“I would have bet you dinner Pratt was ready to hit a walk off,” said Coppell coach Don English. “But, Toal made a great play. I don’t know how he made it but he did.”
A few warm up pitches were needed, but Toal was able to continue. Coppell’s Austin Elkins brought home Kettler with an RBI-ground out, cutting the lead to one and advancing Walsh to third with two outs. But Toal was able to get Toth to ground out and close the series.
The Cowboys struck first on an RBI-single by Pratt to score Higginbotham, who led of the bottom of the first with a double against Cunningham.
The Dragons responded with three runs on three hits in the third to chase Coppell starter Danny Malone. Malone tossed the first 2.2 innings, allowing three runs on five hits.
Chad Kettler hit a solo homer to right in the bottom half of the inning to cut the lead in half, but Carroll responded with a run in the fourth and a three-run homer by Shaun McPeters off reliever Michael Apple in the top of the fifth to increase the lead to 7-2, and create separation for the Dragons.
“That was a pretty good shot,” said Carroll coach Hughes said. “A huge hit, I couldn’t tell from my angle if it was going out but I was sure glad it did.”
Apple pitched 3.1 innings of relief before giving way to Kettler in the seventh.
“Apple left the ball up early but finished strong and kept them somewhat at bay,” English said.
The Cowboys wouldn’t go easily, however. Pratt drove in two of his three runs with a one-out triple in the bottom of the fifth to cut the lead to 7-4, before the rally fell short in the seventh.
Cunningham earned the win for Carroll, pitching six-plus innings, allowing five runs on eight hits. He struck out three.
“He threw well all day,” Hughes said. “We expected them to get some hits and score, but give our guys some credit there.”
Toal earned the save, recording the final three outs. He allowed one run on one hit and a walk.
“What can you say, I’m proud of the way the kids battled and swung the bats,” English said.
Dragons win pitchers duel in Game 1
It was the Dragons who grabbed Game 1 to take control of the series, topping the Cowboys in a pitchers duel, 2-1.
Carroll’s Ross Stripling and Coppell’s Zak Hermans both tossed complete games. Neither pitcher allowed an earned run and the two teams combined for just six hits.
“It was a game of pitchers,” Hughes said. “They were able to score a run on a mistake we made. Then we scored one off an error they made but got a hit to knock in the second run. You can’t say it was pitching and defense, but it was good pitching and a little bit of offense.”
Stripling earned the win, allowing one unearned run on three hits with five strikeouts in seven innings.
“(Stripling) is doing what he’s done all year long,” Hughes said. “His velocity and location were good and he threw for strikes. He doesn’t beat himself.”
Hermans surrendered two unearned runs on three hits with six strikeouts over six innings and was charged with the loss.
“Both pitchers competed so well and did a great job,” English said. “It came down to a couple of mistakes on our part. I don’t know if we get anymore runs on Stripling but we feel we should have won, 1-0, if we make the plays. This time of year you are going to have to win a 1-0 game, bottom line.”
The Cowboys got on the board first, scoring their only run in the top of the second inning. D.J. Garber reached on a one-out single up the middle and moved into scoring position with a stolen base. With two-outs Coppell’s Andy Pratt grounded a ball down the first-base line, but the ball caromed off first baseman Will Watson and towards second base allowing Garber to score.
The Cowboys maintained the lead until Carroll struck back in the bottom of the fourth.
With one out, third baseman Toal drew a walk and moved to second on an error on a pickoff attempt. Watson followed with a walk to put runners on first and second base. Hermans was up to the challenge, getting the ground ball he needed from Carroll’s Zack Bellenger. Kettler tossed the ball to second-baseman Higginbotham for the second out of the inning, but Higginbotham had to hurry his throw to double off Bellenger at first. His throw was in the dirt and got past first baseman Joe Richardson, allowing Toal to score and sending Bellenger to second base. Catcher Andrew LaCombe followed with an RBI-single to centerfield to bring home the go-ahead run.
“We missed that opportunity and we missed a couple of other chances to score some more runs and put a little more pressure on them,” English said.
With the lead in hand Stripling retired the final nine Coppell hitters to seal the win.
