Baseball/Softball recap: Aledo, Carroll sweep; Coppell rallies back vs. Keller to tie series

BASEBALL

Southlake Carroll 9, Flower Mound Marcus 0

Southlake Carroll pitcher Owen Proksch came one out from no-hitting Flower Mound Marcus in the Dragons’ 9-0 win that swept the Class 6A Region 1 semifinal series on Friday evening at Marauder Park.

Proksch struck out 10 and walked five, but was forced from the game after reaching his UIL mandated pitch limit. Luke Gornell came on in relief and threw two pitches, getting a grounder to short, to close out the no-hitter.

“I had everything working pretty good today and was able to hit my spots,” said Proksch, a Duke commit. “I ran into some problems with the walks, but the offense got some runs for us. It was a good day.”

Carroll (28-16) scored seven times in the top of the seventh inning to put the game out of reach. The Dragons drew six walks in the inning including bases loaded free passes to Proksch and Ben Tryon to drive in runs.

Ryan Pehrson drove in two with a hard, ground single to left and Austin Page laced an RBI single to right-center to cap the scoring in the seventh.

Gunnar Krug scored the first two runs for Carroll in almost identical fashion. Krug singled in the third and fifth innings, stole second and third base each time, then was driven home.

Ethan Mendoza plated Krug both times with a sacrifice fly to right in the third and an infield single off the second baseman’s glove in the fifth.

“It was unfortunate, but Owen reached his pitch count at 110 and just did a great job,” said Carroll coach Larry Vucan, whose team awaits the winner of the Keller-Coppell series to play in the Region 1 final. “He was able to locate his fastball and change up and his change up was really his out pitch today.

“When you have a day like that in a regional semifinal against a team, on their own field, as good as Flower Mound Marcus is and to throw a no-hitter is amazing.”

Aledo 6, Abilene Wylie 1

After walking off in extras on Thursday, the Bearcats scored five times in the final three innings to complete the sweep over the Bulldogs in the Class 5A Region 1 semifinals Friday at Abilene Christian University.

The Bearcats (28-9-2) are headed to the regional final for the first time since 2014 to play the winner between Amarillo and Birdville.

Carter Shands allowed one unearned run on four hits and struck out three in five innings. TCU commit Creed Willems came on in relief and allowed one hit with five strikeouts in two innings.

Aledo extended its lead to 2-0 in the fifth on a Zach Harrison sac fly that scored Parker Stegall. Wylie scored a run in the bottom of the inning. The first two Bearcats of the sixth got out but they got a hit batter and walk before Willems drove both in with a double to right.

Kevin Taylor added a two-run triple in the top of the seventh inning for the Bearcats. Nolan Garcia hit an RBI single in the third.

Coppell 6, Keller 5

Coppell first baseman David Jeon belted a 3-run home run to left field in the bottom of the sixth to rally the Cowboys for a 6-5 win over Keller on Friday afternoon at Denton Guyer High School.

The win for Coppell (31-8-1) evened the Class 6A Region 1 semifinal at one game a piece. Game 3 will be at 1 p.m. on Saturday back at Guyer.

Keller (31-6) built a 4-0 lead after two innings. Gray Rowlett scored on a sacrifice fly by Clayton Thomas in the first and Aiden Connors blasted a 3-run homer, just inside the foul pole in right, with two-out in the second.

The Indians took a 5-2 lead in the top of the sixth when Griffin Barton, who went 2 for 3, laced a single to left center to drive in Whit Thoms who led off the inning with a walk.

After Coppell’s 4-run sixth, Keller got a lead off single from Mike Dattalo in the seventh. Pinch runner Colton Vargas moved to second on a ground out to first and went to third on a wild pitch, but was stranded there after pop outs to second and short ended the game.

Amarillo 10, Birdville 4

Amarillo broke open a close game with a 5-run third inning then coasted to a win in the opening game of their Class 5A Region 1 semifinal with Birdville at Texas Tech University in Lubbock.

Game 2 of the series is scheduled for noon on Saturday at Lubbock Christian University with a third game, if necessary, to follow.

Birdville (25-12-1) loaded the bases in the bottom of the first and, following a force out at the plate, Jarrett Shannon grounded out to third to drive in Brian Hanson. Bynum Martinez followed with a lined single to center to drive in Logan Lacey and William Bush for a 3-1 lead.

Amarillo (30-8) tied it in the second, but the Hawks pushed across a run in the bottom of the inning on a sacrifice fly by Grant Degollado that plated Alex Showalter.

But that was all Birdville was able to muster against the pitching duo of Sandler Needham (5 innings) and Jacob Ferro (2). The Hawks went down in order in four of the final five innings.

The Sandies drew three walks and had a hit batter, all with the bases loaded, in the third.

Godley 2, Texarkana Liberty-Eylau 1

Godley pitcher Braden Karnes tossed a 1-hitter as the Wildcats evened their Class 4A Region 2 semifinal series with a win over Texarkana Liberty-Eylau on Friday night at Carter Field in Tyler.

The rubber game of the series will be at 1 p.m. on Saturday at Whitehouse High School.

Colby Brooks led off the game for Liberty-Eylau (28-10-2) with a lined double to center. Pinch runner Zander Hall went to third on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a sac fly by Gage Bellatti.

But that was it for the Leopards as Karnes went the rest of the way without allowing another hit, striking out four and walking three.

Godley (28-11) scored single runs in the third and fourth innings. Jayden Stevens (2 for 3) singled to left to open the third. Three batters later Karnes laced a single to left to plate Stevens to tie the game at one.

Trevor Smith opened the fourth with a double and was moved to third on a hard single to left by Stevens. Landry McKittrick (2 for 3) reached on an infield single to first driving in Smith with what turned out to be the winning run.

Brock 11, Littlefield 4

Brock got three RBI each from Camden Harris and Luke Stills as the Eagles swept Littlefield in a Class 3A Region 1 semifinal on Saturday at Abilene Christian University.

Brock (27-9-1) will meet the Shallowater-Tuscola Jim Ned winner in the regional final next week for a shot to go to the state tournament.

The Eagles scored five times in the top of the second inning to erase a 3-2 lead by Littlefield (19-12). Brock loaded the bases with bases on balls before RBI singles by Peyton Shaffer and Jaxon Gleaton. Two hitters later Stills ripped a triple to center driving in Shaffer and Harris for a 7-3 lead.

After allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits in the first, Brock pitcher Ian Fuchs cruised through the next four innings of work not allowing another hit. Fuchs struck out one and walked three before being relieved by Tristan Boedeker who got the final six outs, three by strike out.

SOFTBALL

Aledo vs. Justin Northwest PPD

The Ladycats and Texans got three outs before the game was postponed in the bottom of the first inning due to weather. The game was scoreless with no outs during Northwest’s turn to bat.

The game will resume at 2 p.m. Saturday at Boswell.

Northwest lead off hitter Alexah Reyes was up to bat in the bottom of the first inning facing a 2-1 count against Aledo starter Kayleigh Smith. Northwest starter Abi Young pitched a 1-2-3 top of the first with a strikeout.

The 5A Region 1 final is a one-game playoff. The winner Saturday will head to Austin for the UIL state tournament.

This story was originally published May 28, 2021 at 5:45 PM.