Grapevine baseball throttles Argyle in game three, advances to Class 5A state tournament
After a game one loss to Argyle in the UIL Class 5A high school baseball regional finals, Grapevine head coach Jimmy Webster told his team the Eagles better eliminate them in game two.
Grapevine got the series evening victory and the momentum carried over. The Mustangs throttled Argyle in game three at Nathan F. Danford Field, earning a 12-1 victory to advance to the state tournament.
“It feels great,” said Grapevine center fielder Sammy Kelley, who recorded three team highs with three runs, three hits and three RBIs. “I’ve been working at this for three years. So, it feels amazing.”
Grapevine will play in the Class 5A state semifinals at Dell Diamond in Round Rock on Thursday.
Game three of the regional finals was originally scheduled to commence at 1 p.m. but was delayed for two hours due to inclement weather. Grapevine stayed patient, and Webster said his team’s composure allowed the offense to put up 12 runs in five innings.
“We were so relaxed,” Webster said. “Almost to the point of ‘I’m not sure if we even care.’ We were just so relaxed. The rain didn’t bother us. The hail didn’t bother us. We are who we are and that is who we’ve been all year.”
Grapevine’s last appearance at the state tournament came in 2017, when the program lost in the state championship. In 2016, Grapevine won its only baseball state championship.
In 2024, The Mustangs (38-5) won the District 7-5A championship while Argyle (29-9-2) came in second despite splitting the season series with the Mustangs. Webster said its fair to say the two programs have developed a rivalry.
“(Argyle) is so good,” Webster said. “They are a lot like us. They are very athletic. They pitch well. And we feel like we can do the same thing. But my hat is off to them. We feel like we can do the same thing.”
Grapevine wasted no time in the first inning, scoring three runs. The Mustangs loaded the bases with no outs and Ryan Williams plated the first run by taking a pitch to back. After, a double play and a wild pitch gave Grapevine an early 3-0 lead.
Argyle responded in the bottom half of the frame and was sparked by a lead off hit by TCU commit Grady Emerson, the number one sophomore in the nation. Centerfielder Park Prater drove him home with a single to center field.
To start the second inning, Grapevine left fielder Brady Boozer and right fielder Zach Goldstein tallied singles. The Mustang’s outfield ended a strong offensive inning with Kelley driving home his teammates with a two RBI single.
“I knew we were going to be good when Sammy (Kelley) started to come to weights on time,” Webster said with a smile.
First baseman Jarett Boswell plated Kelley with a single to centerfield, giving the Mustangs a 6-1 lead.
Grapevine continued its offensive onslaught in the third inning, loading the bases. Shortstop Brent Lee, at ninth in the batting order, gave the Mustangs and 8-1 lead with a two RBI double. The Mustangs added four more in the fifth, putting the run rule in effect.
Grapevine starting pitcher JoJo Kubo allowed one run, holding Argyle’s elite offense at bay. He gave up five hits and struck out five batters, powering his team to state.
“That’s what he has done all year for us,” Webster said. “And he gave us a chance to win. He did everything right.”
Webster said there is gratification with making the state tournament, but emphasized the ultimate goal hasn’t been reached.
“We’re not done,” Webster said.
This story was originally published June 1, 2024 at 6:12 PM.
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