Bulldogs finish second
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| Published: 05/13/2009 |
“The way I see it, we had two bad innings against San Jac in both games we played them,” Bolt said. “In the first game we had a chance to put them on the ropes early, and we let them take the momentum away from us. The same thing happened today. If we had managed to stay in the winner’s bracket, things might have been different.”
The Bulldogs, who run-ruled host Blinn College, 13-5, earlier in the day to earn a second shot at San Jacinto, finished the season at 40-15. The Gators take a 43-9 record to the JUCO World Series in Grand Junction, Colo., in two weeks.
San Jacinto raked six Texarkana pitchers for 19 hits in the game.
“We just totally ran out of gas in the second game,” Bolt said. “When you run tired arms out there against a team like San Jac, they’ll make you pay.”
The Bulldogs lost shortstop Trey Buck to a possible fractured wrist when he collided with the Gators first baseman after bunting. Buck played a key role in the win over Blinn.
The Bulldogs managed nine hits, including a double and single by John Stilson, who replaced Buck at shortstop. Jake Rogers had a pair of singles and drove in a run.
“We had a good season, winning the conference championship,” Bolt said. “We talked all year about going to Grand Junction, and we fell just one game short. We’ve got 14 freshmen coming back, and hopefully the experience they got here will help us get back.”
San Jacinto 227 200 201 — 15 19 1
Texarkana 100 000 110 — 3 9 0
Sean Nolin, Dylan Adamek (8) and Gregg Alazar. Justin Fowler, Justin Fielden (3), Zach Fowler (3), Brittan Diamon (3), Ty Moore (5), Joaquin Hinojosa (7) and Lance Marvel, Michael Long (8). WP-Nolin. LP-J. Fowler. HR-Danny Hernandez, 4th, none on.
Texarkana 13, Blinn 5
Texarkana’s 10-hit attack in the early game included home runs by Joaquin Hinojosa and Jordy Snikeris.
Pitching on two days rest, John Stilson improved to 12-1 on the season, pitching 5 2/3 innings and throwing 103 pitches. He walked four and struck out six, while yielding four earned runs. Ty Moore allowed a run before retiring the last batter in the sixth, and Colton Reavis came on to pitch a 1-2-3 seventh.
Leadoff batter Trey Buck was a thorn in the Buccaneers’ sides, drawing three walks, stealing three bases and scoring three runs.
The Bulldogs broke a 3-all tie with three runs in the third inning and never trailed after that. Buck drew a 1-out walk, stole second, and one out later Brian Ellis reached on a third-strike wild pitch. Buck eventually scored on a balk by losing pitcher Zach Hardoin (10-2), and Ellis rode home on Hinojosa’s team-leading 11th home run over the center field wall.
After Blinn pulled within 4-2 with a run in the fourth inning, the Bulldogs put it out of reach in the fifth. Buck and Ellis drew walks and pulled off a double steal after Hardoin was replaced by Jonathan Delgado.
Buck scored as Hinojosa grounded out to shortstop, and after David Allday was hit by a pitch, Thomas Watson singled, driving in Ellis. Hot-hitting Lance Marvel, who was 3 for 4 with two runs batted in, then drove in Allday with a single. Snikeris’ 2-run homer capped the 5-run inning.
Marvel, Buck and Austin Atwell had RBI singles in the seventh as the Bulldogs ended the game on the run-rule.
Watson’s double and two singles led TC at the plate. Watson had a double and single for the Bulldogs (40-14).
Texarkana 103 050 3 — 12 10 0
Blinn 100 103 0 — 5 8 1
John Stilson, Ty Moore (6), Colton Reavis (7) and Jody Snikeris. Zach Hardoin, Jonathon Delgado (5) and P. D. McIntyre. WP-Stilson (12-1). LP-Hardoin (10-2). HR: TC-Joaquin Hinojosa, 3rd, 1 on; Snikeris, 5th, 1 on.
