Mansfield Legacy falls short in first trip to state baseball tournament

Mansfield Legacy had the game-tying run at the plate in the top of the seventh, but the Broncos would fall short, 4-2, against Friendswood in a UIL Class 5A state semifinal on Thursday at Dell Diamond.

Legacy ends the season with a 32-10 record.

It’s the Broncos first trip to the state baseball tournament and first for any baseball team from Mansfield.

Friendswood (30-7-1) will play for the 5A state championship on Saturday at noon. It’s the Mustangs first trip to state since 2008.

“It just summarizes our team from the past couple weeks. Regardless of the score or regardless of things not going our way at times, they continue to fight and they did that again today,” Legacy coach Chris McMullen said. “It didn’t turn out on our end.

“This is a life-long memory for the coaching staff and the players. Something we’ll never forget and I can’t thank these guys enough for all the work they put in.”

Legacy didn’t do itself any favors in the bottom of the first inning when Friendswood put up three early runs.

A bobble at third base put the lead off runner, Dylan Maxcey, on for the Mustangs. Two batters later and Maxcey scored from second on the single to left by Boots Landry.

Dane Perry followed with a single to center and Ty Brantley drilled the first pitch down the left-field line for a two-run double. He would advance to third on a second error in the inning by Legacy, but didn’t score.

The Broncos got their first hit with a single to right by lead-off hitter Dylan Schlaegel in the bottom of the third, but it wasn’t until the next inning when they showed some life.

Kayden Voelkel led off the inning with a single to left.

After advancing to second on a wild pitch, Voelkel went to third on a single by Andrew Taylor. With runners at second and third, Luke Devasher hit a two-out single to left field to drive in two and pull Legacy within 3-2.

“They’re a bunch of fighters,” McMullen said. “There is no situation that they can’t come back from. They just continue to get after it. Very enjoyable run.”

Friendswood got a walk and two singles to load the bases with two outs in the bottom of the fourth, but Legacy pitcher Blake Julius got a grounder to second to end the inning.

“Just going back out there and giving my team a chance to win,” said Julius, an Oklahoma State commit. “Throw strikes, it’s hot out there, just keep them in the game. That’s a good team. Just trying to be the best pitcher I could be today.”

Julius (10-2) would go five innings and allowed two earned runs on six hits and struck out three.

“It’s really cool. This team is really special,” Julius said. “I feel like we really grew over the season and made a really big jump as a team on and off the field.”

Legacy had something brewing in the top of the fifth inning when Schlaegel drew a one-out walk and stole second. Friendswood intentionally walked Voelkel and the Broncos had runners on the corners with two outs.

But Friendswood pitcher Jacob Rogers got his fourth strikeout to end the threat.

Rogers improved to 10-2 after allowing two runs on five hits in six innings. He struck out five.

The Mustangs added one run in the bottom of the fifth. A dropped foul ball, that would’ve been the second out, gave Perry new life and he connected on a one-out triple.

Brantley hit a pitch to second and Perry beat the throw home to give Friendswood a 4-2 lead.

Legacy finished with five hits and four errors.

Friendswood had six hits and one error.

Legacy advanced to state after winning the 5A Region 1 final in three games over Aledo. The Broncos stunned the Bearcats with 12 runs in the top of the seventh in Game 3 for a 13-9 victory.

This story was originally published June 9, 2022 at 6:03 PM.