Heartbreak at state! Fort Worth Christian’s late lead washed away after delay
The eighth time was finally going to be the charm for the Fort Worth Christian baseball team. The Cardinals were making their 14th trip to the state tournament and eighth appearance in a championship game, but had never won a title.
Things looked good for Fort Worth Christian to finally reach the top of the mountain, but a five-hour weather delay and a rally by Houston Lutheran South shocked the Cardinals in a 4-3 heartbreaking loss in the TAPPS Division II championship game on Tuesday at Gould Field on the campus of the University of Texas at Arlington
Fort Worth Christian (34-7-1) built a 3-0 lead with single runs in the first, second and fourth innings. A leadoff walk to start the game to Griffin Carney and a 2-out, RBI single to left by Jake Parkerson, that took a bad hop over the third baseman’s glove, gave the Cardinals a 1-0 lead.
FWC added another run in the second on a walk to Jackson Perdue, a lined single to right center by Hank Austin that moved Perdue to third, and an RBI ground out by Carney. Austin was hit by a pitch with 2 out in the fourth, went to second on a walk to Carney and came home when Grady Emerson lined a single off the glove of the Lutheran South second baseman to make it 3-0.
Cale Brateris was stellar on the mound for Fort Worth Christian twirling a 1-hitter through five complete innings with 3 strikeouts and 2 walks. But with 2 outs in the top of the sixth, lightning forced the stadium to be cleared.
The delay lasted for 5 hours and 10 minutes before players and fans were allowed back. Emerson, arguably the top-rated prep prospect in the upcoming Major League Baseball draft, who was at the plate when the delay began lined out to second to finally end the sixth inning.
After the delay, Brateris’ day was over, but a pair of Cardinal relievers struggled. A walk to Pioneer leadoff hitter Brycen Gilbert was followed by an error on a pop-up by Marcus Cantu to put runners at second and first.
Jaylen Walker followed with and an RBI double to cut the lead to 3-1. A sacrifice fly by Landon Victorian made it 3-2 and pinch hitter Wyatt Powell tied the game with a lined single to center.
Fort Worth Christian went quietly in the top of the seventh and the Cardinals never got an out in the bottom of the inning. Max Saldana led off for Lutheran South with a double, just inside the third-base line and came home with the game winner when Richard Jones, Jr. singled to left over the head of the drawn in outfield.
Luther South (28-8) has been a baseball juggernaut claiming their sixth state title, all since 2015. The Pioneers are 6-0 in championship games in 7 trips to the state tournament.
Fort Worth Christian last reached the championship game in 2019 where they lost to Lutheran South.
This story was originally published May 19, 2026 at 10:26 PM.
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