Keller baseball lives to fight another day: Indians shut out Rockwall in Game 2
The Keller baseball team gutted out five and a half innings of scoreless baseball with its back to the wall. Trailing in the series, one game to none, the Indians leaned on Tennessee signee Cole Koeninger and the senior’s shoulders were broad enough to carry the team.
Keller score four times in the bottom of the sixth inning to break up a dandy pitcher’s duel and made it hold up in a 4-0 win in Game 2 of the three-game Class 6A Division I state semifinal series being hosted at Horner Ballpark on the campus of Dallas Baptist University.
Game 3 of the series is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. on Saturday back at DBU.
“We’re just glad to be there after losing Game 1,” said Keller coach Rob Stramp, about winning and making it to a Game 3. “It’s kind of like, let’s just get to a Game 3 and we got a few bullets left and I think they’ve got a few bullets too.”
Koeninger and Rockwall starter Blake Phillips were dueling pitch for pitch for the first six and a half innings, but the Indians finally got to Phillips in the bottom of the sixth.
Phillips allowed just two hits with two walks and a pair of strikeouts heading into the bottom of the inning. Brock Burkett reached on an error, Max Segura walked and with one out, Jayden Moeller was hit by a pitch to load the bases.
Maddox McCrary then broke the scoreless tie with a lined single to right to give Keller a 1-0 lead.
“It was definitely a relief to get that first run, but we still had to go out and get three more outs,” said McCrary, who went 1 for 3 with an RBI and a run scored. “It was a big momentum change with the bases loaded and one out and I was just trying to stay up the middle. I was a little early on it, but I wound up doing the job.”
A bases-loaded walk to Carson Lesley drove home another run and chased Phillips from the mound in lieu of Liam Stegall. Trevor Sumrall walked with the bags full again to make it 3-0 and Koeninger capped the scoring with an infield single to deep short to drive in McCrary.
Meanwhile Koeninger hadn’t allowed a hit to Rockwall in six complete innings while striking out seven and walking none. Only one Yellowjacket base runner reach in the span, on a throwing error in the top of the second.
Things got a little dicey in the bottom of the seventh as Rockwall loaded the bases with just one out. After a conference on the mound, Koeninger was able to get a strikeout and a fly ball to center to end the game.
“I feel like those games when your backs are against the wall and you’ve got to come through are the moments whenever I shine,” said Koeninger. “So no extra added pressure or anything. I just had to have my stuff and that’s what I did tonight.”