Keller holds off Trinity in Game 1 of their Class 6A Division I regional final

District 4-6A rivals Keller and Euless Trinity couldn’t wait for their Class 6A Division I regional final to get underway, but mother nature had other ideas. The game finally started an hour and a half late and the game turned out to be just as electric as the weather.

Keller built an early lead, but a scrappy Trinity squad rallied and came up just short as the Indians took Game 1 of the series, 5-4, on Thursday at Weatherford College. Game 2 is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Friday, back at Weatherford College with Game 3, if necessary, taking place at 11 a.m. on Saturday.

“I’m real impressed with them, they’re a tough team,” said Keller coach Rob Stramp. “They’re here for a reason, you saw that tonight. They swing the bat, they don’t give up and they keep putting pressure on...they’re tough.”

Keller (36-3-2) jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the second inning when Indian starting pitcher Logan Brown was hit by a Michael Massaro pitch to lead off the inning. With one out, pinch runner Cody Miller stole second and went to third on a lined single to right-center by Carson Lesley.

Massaro was his own worst enemy in the inning, despite striking out the side. Massaro hit Maddox McCrary with a pitch to load the bases and Miller scampered home on a wild pitch.

Keller added two more in the fourth when Jayden Moeller and Lesley opened the inning with singles. Back-to-back walks followed to McCrary and Trevor Sumrall which drove Moeller home and a double-play ball off the bat of Bodie Davis plated Lesley to make it 3-0.

Brown, a University of Houston signee, was cruising along allowing just two hits and striking out six through five innings, but ran into some trouble in the sixth. Rylan Alaniz and John Emory sandwiched singles around a walk to David Dagnino to load the bases with one out for Trinity.

An error on a ground ball to third by Deacon Baker scored Alaniz to chase Brown who finished allowing two runs, both unearned, on four hits with six strikeouts and two walks.

“I think they’re just a lot of guys who love to play together, and they just grind out there,” said Brown of Trinity. “Even with two strikes, they like to fight and they don’t like to go down easy. They just grind out there.”

Cameron Ireland came on in relief for Keller and gave up a sacrifice fly to right by Zo Palmore to plate Dagnino to cut the lead to 3-2.

“I thought he threw the ball well,” said Stramp of Brown. “I thought he spotted up real good and I didn’t have any complaints, but he might have gotten a little tired there in the sixth. I thought about making a change before that, but he was still getting outs so we just went with him.”

Brown helped the Indians add on a couple of runs in the top of the seventh. Brock Burnett was hit by a pitch to open the frame and was sacrificed to second by Max Segura.

Brown followed with a sharp liner down the left field line for an RBI double to make it 4-2. With two out, a wild pitch moved Brown to third base and the throw down trying to nab Brown skipped into left field allowing him to score to make it 5-2.

“I knew I had to go up there and just be myself,” said Brown who finished 2 for 3 at the plate. “I know I’m a great hitter, and I know I just had to step in there and do my thing.”

Trinity (26-11-2) never conceded, however, as the Trojans loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh with none out. Pinch hitter Maddox Mason was hit by a pitch and Garrett Tuell and Alaniz followed with base hits.

A pair of ground outs by Dagnino and Emory drove home a pair of runs to cut the lead to 5-4, but with two out and a runner on third Baker was called out by the home-plate umpire after a controversial check swing to end the game.

Keller finished first in District 4-6A with its only league loss coming to Trinity, 2-1 in eight innings on April 4. The Indians thumped Trinity three days later 13-3 in six innings.

The Trojans were second in 4-6A with a 12-4 district record and have reached the fourth round of the playoffs for the first time since 2019.

“They’re a tough team and they like to fight,” said Brown. “I knew we just had to come out and play our game and I knew we’d win. It’ll be tough, but we’re looking for the sweep tomorrow.”

This story was originally published May 22, 2026 at 12:38 AM.