Archives > Sports Update
Print
E-mail
Comment
Rate
RSS
Share
Early Onslaught: Ten-run first inning lifts Sunnyvale to series win over Gunter, first trip to regional finals
By DEVIN HASSON, dhasson@starlocalnews.com
McKINNEY—Sunnyvale found itself in a position it had hoped to avoid on Saturday night.
After suffering their first loss of the playoffs earlier in the day—and first setback overall in more than two months—the Raiders found themselves on the brink of elimination against a Gunter team brimming with confidence after forcing a deciding game.
If head coach Tim Arden had any questions about how his team would respond, Sunnyvale responded with an immediate answer.
Sunnyvale (29-5) advances to the regional championship for the first time in school history where it will face Brock, the No. 1 team in the Texas High School Baseball Coaches Class 2A state poll, later this week at a time and place to be determined.
The smiling faces and high-fives late Saturday night were a far cry from a few hours earlier when the Raiders blew some key opportunities in a 10-6 loss in game two. Despite having a 20-game winning streak come to an end, Arden knew his team would be ready for the challenge.
“I don’t ever have to worry about these kids,” he said. “They have always been able to shake off losses. They are the loosest group I have had and they came right back and knew that it was a new game and it was time to get back to business as usual.”
The tension of the first two games was not an issue in the finale, as Sunnyvale was more than happy to take advantage of what Gunter had to offer.
Will Moss led off with a single and Connor Nash followed with a big-bounce double to left. Zach Metzger, who drew eight intentional walks after he hit a home run in the series opener, drew one of those free passes to load the bases.
Brock Taylor drove in the first run of the game with a fielder’s choice, Ryan Cottingame walked and Wesley Phillips just missed a grand slam, settling for a two-run double off the wall in left that made it 3-0.
That chased Gunter starter C.J. Ateek from the game, but the Tigers pitching problems were just getting started. Reliever Lucas Hampton walked Joey Rosato and then issued another to Devin DeLeon to force in a run.
Gunter then turned to Dylan Higdon, but he walked Mason Goodin and Moss to plate two more runs that stretched the advantage to 7-0.
Nash followed with a sacrifice fly and a free pass was issued to Metzger, Taylor blooped a two-run double to right that made it 10-0.
The beneficiary of that huge cushion was Moss, who pitched out of some jams but was able to earn the win on the mound.
“Getting out early really takes a lot of the pressure off,” Arden said. “It allows us to leave a pitcher in to work out of some jams and Will was able to do that.”
Moss walked Hunter Williams in the top of the second and after a wild pitch advanced the runner to second, Avery Higdon followed with a RBI single to get the Tigers on the scoreboard. They threatened further when two more walks loaded the bases, but Moss was able to get Cade Cruce to pop out to end the threat.
Sunnyvale extended the lead to 11-1 in the bottom of the third when Goodin scored on a sacrifice fly by Nash and then pushed it to 12-1 when Rosato doubled and scored on an error in the fourth.
Gunter took advantage of some control problems to temporarily stave off the run-rule by playing three runs in the top of the fifth, but that would be short-lived.
Moss walked to lead off the bottom of the fifth, Nash singled and Metzger was intentionally walked to load the bases. Taylor then drove in a run on a fielder’s choice and Nash scampered home on a wild pitch to provide the final 14-4 margin.
This was Sunnyvale’s second trip to the regional semifinals. Two years ago, the Raiders made it to this stage but were defeated by Brock in a 3-game series.
Sunnyvale, which has made it a habit of avenging past defeats during this playoff run, will now get a rematch with the state’s No. 1 team with a chance to make its first state tournament appearance.
“Even when we lost to Brock two years ago, I knew this was a special group and now they are older and more experienced,” Arden said. “These guys believe they can go out and play against anybody and that they can compete and the can win. I don’t think there is going to be any intimidation whatsoever, we’re going to be confident and we’re going to go play our game.”
GAME 2: Gunter scored six unanswered runs in final two innings in 10-6 win to force deciding game
For five innings, Sunnyvale and Gunter went back and forth on Saturday in game two of their Class 2A Region II semifinal best-of-3 series at McKinney Boyd High School.
The Raiders appeared to have momentum in their dugout when Devin DeLeon stroked a two-run opposite-field home run in the bottom of the fifth that gave them a 6-4 lead.
But it was all Gunter from there, as they scored twice in the top of the sixth and tacked on four more runs in the seventh to rally for a 10-6 victory to force a deciding game.
Fortunately for Sunnyvale, it was able to rebound quickly later on Saturday night in a 14-4 rout to claim the series.
It was a nice, quick chance to wipe the bitter taste out of their mouths after they squandered several opportunities in the second game.
“We brought it up (between games),” Sunnyvale head coach Tim Arden said. “We thought that if we played a clean game that we probably win and are moving on, so we just reminded them that we needed to play like we are capable of playing.”
After getting shut out in the series opener, Gunter struck first when Cade Cruce reached on an error, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a single by Richie Robledo to take a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning.
As was the case through the early innings, the Raiders had an immediate answer. Will Moss singled, Zach Metzger was intentionally walked and both players moved into scoring position on a wild pitch.
That set the stage for Ryan Cottingame, who ripped a ground rule double to left to plate both runners and give Sunnyvale a 2-1 lead.
The Raiders had a chance to build on that advantage in the bottom of the second but were unable to do so. Devin DeLeon led off with a triple but was caught in a rundown when Gunter was able to corral Mason Goodin’s ground ball to third for the first out.
Moss followed with a single and the runners moved to second and third on a passed ball, but Connor Nash’s deep fly ball to left was flagged down and the Tigers were able to double the runner off third to escape the jam.
The teams traded runs in the third inning. Gunter tied it when Richard Young scored on a single by C.J. Ateek, but Sunnyvale countered in the bottom of the frame, as Metzger walked, moved to third on an error and scored on a wild pitch to give them a 3-2 lead.
The Tigers regained the lead in the top of the fourth, as Avery Higden had a sacrifice fly and Pate Montgomery singled home a run, but the Raiders tied it at 4-4 when Nash singled home Goodin.
Sunnyvale was within six outs of advancing after DeLeon’s two-run blast in the bottom of the fifth, but Gunter was not ready for its season to end just yet.
Hunter Williams led off the top of the sixth with a single and Dakota Hunter was hit by a pitch. Avery Higden then lifted a fly ball to right-center field, but miscommunication in the outfield allowed the ball to fall and both runners scored to tie the game at 6-6.
The Tigers put it away in the top of the seventh. Michael Burfield singled and scored the go-ahead run on a triple by Ateek that made it 7-6. Gunter then added insurance, as Robledo and Williams walked and Hunter was hit by a pitch to drive in a run. Montgomery followed with a RBI single and Young added a sacrifice fly to push the lead to 10-6.
Sunnyvale went down in order in the bottom of the seventh, sending the teams to a deciding game.
The following are comments from the readers.
In no way do they represent the view of Starlocalnews.com
In no way do they represent the view of Starlocalnews.com
You must register with a valid email to post comments.
Only your Member ID will be posted with the comments.
Only your Member ID will be posted with the comments.
Registered users sign in here:
Become a Registered User
- Return to: Sports Update «
- Home «
- Top of Page ^
