Brock falls to Corpus Christi London in record-setting state baseball title game
Brock scored four runs in the top of the sixth inning, but couldn’t finish off the rally as the Eagles lost to Corpus Christi London, 16-13, in the UIL Class 3A state baseball championship game on Saturday at Dell Diamond.
It was Brock’s second straight trip to the state baseball tournament and seventh overall, and first state final since winning it all in 2006.
London (26-13) beat Brock, 7-2, in last year’s state semifinals.
The Eagles finish the year with a 36-4 record. They defeated Diboll in the seventh inning during Friday’s semifinals.
“They’re great kids. I’ve never seen a bigger group of competitors,” Brock coach Tim Arden said.
A four-run sixth inning pulled the Eagles within 15-13.
Sawyer Strosnider led off with a triple to right and Peyton Shaffer reached on an error. Cam Harris drove in his fifth run with a single to right and Luke Stills hit a deep double to score Shaffer.
Ian Fuchs hit a towering fly ball to deep center and two runs scored to make it a two-run game.
“That’s why we’re down six last couple innings and all of us in the dugout are saying that we’re not done yet, it’s not over,” Arden said. “We fought back. Just little too late.”
The 29 combined runs set a new UIL state baseball tournament record for a single game in any classification. The previous record was a 2A game between Palmer and Windthorst in 1979 (26).
The 3A record was previously set by Salado and Corsicana Mildred in 2008.
London, which won its first title, also tied the 3A record for runs in a game by one team. Hallettsville scored 16 runs in 2013.
“You score 13 runs and you expect to win the game especially with the pitching we have,” Arden said. “Just couldn’t overcome it today.”
Tyler Moody led off the game by reaching on the first of London’s five errors on the day. Moody hit a low fly ball to left that was dropped. Shaffer walked and Harris doubled to right field to give Brock an early 1-0 lead.
After London got the second out, Fuchs hit a two-run single up the middle. Fuchs advanced to second on the throw, but the throw from the pitcher went into center and rolled all the way to the warning track. Fuchs scored and Brock’s lead was 4-0.
But the momentum and smiles from Brock quickly disappeared as the Eagles had trouble getting outs in the bottom of the first inning.
A walk and two singles loaded the bases for the Pirates and a Brock wild pitch plated their first run. Then Landon Salinas singled down the right field line to score one and pull the Pirates within 4-2. After London loaded the bases again, Blake Watters made it 4-3 with an RBI sac fly.
Two batters later and Jacob Gonzales drew an RBI walk to tie the game at 4.
Brock took back some momentum in the top of the second with five runs to regain the lead, 9-4.
Tye Arden hit a lead off single and three batters later, Strosnider singled to load the bases. Shaffer had an infield single to score Cooper Massey from third and Harris drilled a 2-1 pitch to deep center for a three-run triple.
Another London error and Harris scored to give Brock a five-run lead.
The Pirates scored three in the bottom of the second to get within 9-7. After an RBI sac fly, Watters doubled to left center to drive in Salinas and Rene Ramirez.
“Crazy, ugly, whatever you want to call it,” Arden said. “They just overcame mistakes better than we did. We unusually walked quite a few kids today and yesterday as well, and they took advantage of it.”
The runs continued for London in the fourth.
Salinas, Rudy-James Olivares and Watters drove in three straight runs. Watters hit a double to left to score Olivares and London took its first lead of the game at 10-9.
A wild pitch plated London’s 11th run of the game and Gonzales hit an RBI sac fly to put the Pirates ahead 12-9.
London added three more in the bottom of the fifth sparked by Olivares’ two-run double. Watters added his fifth RBI of the game and the Pirates led 15-9 after five.
Watters was voted state championship game MVP after going 2 for 2 with two doubles, five RBI and one run scored. Olivares drove in four and Mason Jacob went 3 for 3. London had 13 hits and five errors.
Brock had 11 hits and two errors.
Harris was 3 for 5 with a double, five RBI and three runs. Fuchs went 2 for 3 with four RBI.
“We get up like that and usually it’s church with our pitching, but my gosh they did a great job battling and finding gaps and finding holes,” Arden said. “They were just better today.”
This story was originally published June 11, 2022 at 12:26 PM.