Keller baseball earns chance to “Win Texas” after Game 3 win over Rockwall
On Friday after Keller’s Game 2 win over Rockwall, coach Rob Stramp said that he was “just glad to be there” and hoped that he “had a few more bullets left than Rockwall” as far as winning Game 3.
Stramp did, but just barely as a little used relief pitcher and some timely hitting helped the Indians take Game 3, 7-6, over the Yellowjackets to get their shot to “Win Texas” as their mantra has been all season. Keller (39-4-2) will be making its first appearance in a championship game in baseball.
Keller will face Austin Lake Travis (33-12-1) in the state title game at noon on Saturday, June 6, at Dell Diamond in Round Rock. Lake Travis, also making its first appearance in a title game, swept Houston Summer Creek 13-0 (5) and 9-2.
Keller jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the third inning. Cole Koeninger led off getting hit by a pitch, Brock Burkett singled to right center and Maddox McCrary tripled both of them home with a shot to center over the head of Rockwall’s Reid Overstreet.
“I’m only a sophomore, so I’m really overwhelmed, but it’s just electric man,” said McCrary who was a big catalyst in both Game 2 and Game 3. “The seniors have been so good and just really came together as a group. It’s just been amazing.”
Max Segura doubled to right center to drive in McCrary and Logan Brown single to left to move Segura to third. Carson Lesley followed with a sacrifice fly to plate Segura.
But Rockwall (27-18-3), which played in its only championship game in 2005, but lost to Kingwood 10-5, was unfazed. The Yellowjackets put up three in the bottom of the third and two more in the fourth to take a 5-4 lead and chase Keller starter Connor Davenport in lieu of Cameron Ireland.
The Indians answered right back, however, when Jayden Moeller led off the fifth with a lined single to center. After an out, Brown launched a blast to deep left, over the bullpen, for a two-run home run to give the lead back to Keller, 6-5.
“All series I didn’t really have my best approach at the plate and wasn’t swinging it very well,” said Brown who finished 2 for 4 at the plate. “I knew I had to come up there and simplify everything and just do what I know I can do, and I feel like that’s what I did.”
Keller got another run in the top of the sixth when Burkett drew a one-out walk and moved to third on a walk to McCrary and a fielder’s choice grounder to third by Moeller. Burkett raced home to make it 7-5 after Moeller purposely got in a run down between first and second.
Ireland got into trouble after getting the first two outs of the sixth inning giving up a run on a double and a pair of singles that cut the lead to 7-6. That when Stramp called on little used reliever Gerad Tucker who came on to strike out Rockwall’s Reid Overstreet to end the inning.
The Keller relief pitching was key as Ireland went two and two-thirds innings allowing five hits, one earned run with four strikeouts and one walk. Tucker allowed a hit to lead off the seventh inning, but got a pop out a strikeout and a line out to center to end the game.
Tucker said that he hadn’t been in a pressure situation like that all season, especially with a trip to the state championship on the line.
“That was something different for sure,” said Tucker, a senior. “I had to get up there and do something for this team and I got in and got it done. These are my brothers out here and we’ve worked so hard this season. We did this thing.”
Koeninger, one of Keller’s top players and a Tennessee signee, had to come out of the game before the bottom of the fourth inning after aggravating a chronic issue he’s had with his hand. He’s almost certain he’ll be back for the game next Saturday.
“It feels so good,” said Brown of heading to Round Rock. “This is what I’ve dreamed of for so long and coming into this year Cole and I talked about it. We’ve got to lead this team to Round Rock.
“We’ve got to do it for Coach Stramp and we’ve got to do it for each other. It just feels so good.”