Baseball recap: MLB prospect, Keller beat Eaton; Birdville shuts out Legacy; Timberview gets by Aledo
Keller 9, Haslet Eaton 4
USC signee Eric Hammond allowed one run on six hits and struck out eight as the Indians took down their District 4-6A opponent Eaton in Game 1 of their Class 6A Region 1 quarterfinal series Thursday night at Denton Guyer High School.
Game 2 will be at Guyer at 6 p.m. on Friday.
Keller’s Robert Cranz and Eaton’s Xavier Casserilla are the projected Game 2 starters.
The Indians, winners of District 4-6A, scored in the top of the first inning when Aidan Connors reached base on a one-out error. He advanced to second on a balk and came around to score on an RBI single to left from Clayton Thomas.
Eaton, the No. 4 playoff seed, got four hits off Hammond in the first inning, but catcher Whit Thoms threw out a runner trying to steal second. The Eagles still managed to load the bases, but Hammond picked up a big strikeout to get out of the jam.
Hammond would go six innings and throw 96 pitches.
Eaton starter Mason Kosowick kept the Eagles in it, forcing a bases-loaded ground out in the top of the second and then picking up a strikeout of his own to close out the third.
Keller increased the lead to 2-0 when nine-hole hitter Griffin Barton singled to right field to drive in a run. Two batters later, Connors sent a pitch to center for an RBI sac fly. Eaton catcher Jonah George ripped a pitch to left for an RBI to pull the Eagles within 3-1 in the bottom of the fourth inning.
The Indians opened up the game with back-to-back three-run innings in the sixth and seventh. Connors doubled down the first-base line for an RBI and Keller plated two more on another Eaton error.
Gray Rowlett’s RBI single and Mike Dattalo’s two RBIs in the seventh made it 9-1.
Nolan Bushko singled in a pair of runs for Eaton in the bottom of the seventh and scored on an RBI from Casserilla.
Grandview 4, Boyd 3 (10 innings)
Caden Self lined a single to right to drive in Donnie Dyrus in the bottom of the tenth inning to give Grandview a win in Game 1 of its Class 3A Region 2 quarterfinal series against Boyd on Thursday at Fort Worth Brewer High School.
Dyrus had tied the game at three in the bottom of the seventh for Grandview (29-6-1) with a two-out single to right to drive in Garrett Johnson, who had walked and moved to second on a ground out.
Boyd (28-6) took a 2-1 lead in the third on RBI singles by Eric Rogers and Houston McIntire. Whitt Hill laced a two-out double to left in the third and came home on a single to center by Aidan LeMasters for a 3-0 Yellowjacket lead.
Jimmy Mathis scored on a ground out by Jacob Vernon in the first for the Zebras. Mathis scored in the third after a leading off with a single and coming home on an error to cut the Boyd lead to 3-2.
Game 2 of the series is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Friday back at Brewer.
Birdville 2, Mansfield Legacy 0
Mason Hardwick threw a one-hit shutout as the Hawks took down the Broncos in Game 1 of their Class 5A Region 1 quarterfinal series Thursday at Dallas Baptist University.
The two teams return to DBU for Game 2 at 7:30 p.m. Friday.
Hardwick went the distance allowing two walks and finishing with 87 pitches, 61 for strikes and six strikeouts.
Birdville scored both runs in the bottom of the second inning. After loading the bases, Legacy managed to get back-to-back outs before the Hawks scored on an RBI single from Hogan Shelby.
Bynum Martinez then scored from third on a passed ball.
Austin Collins came on in relief for Legacy and didn’t allow a hit in 4 1/3 innings.
Mansfield Timberview 8, Aledo 6
The Wolves erased a 6-3 deficit in the second inning to turn back the Bearcats in Game 1 of their Class 5A Region 1 quarterfinal series Thursday night. Game 2 is 6 p.m. Friday at Cleburne.
Timberview took a 3-0 lead early, but Aledo rallied back to score six straight runs.
The Wolves answered with five runs in the top of the third and then held Aledo scoreless the rest of the way.
Godley 8, Aubrey 7
Landry McKittrick went 3 for 3 with two RBI and three runs scored as the Wildcats beat Aubrey in Game 1 of their Class 4A Region 2 quarterfinal series. Game 2 is 7 p.m. Friday at LD Bell High School.
Godley jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning before Aubrey managed to tie the game at 5.
This story was originally published May 20, 2021 at 9:18 PM.