Scoop27
05-24-2015, 11:03 AM
By JOEL LUNA joel.luna@thefacts.com | 0 comments
EL CAMPO — In a decisive baseball game between Sweeny and El Campo on Saturday afternoon, the Ricebirds made the plays needed to pull out a 5-3 best-of-three series-clinching win.
El Campo (26-5) moves on to the Class 4A Region IV semifinals to take on either Sinton or Robstown, which took a 1-0 lead in the series Friday, and the rest of the games were played Saturday night.
The Ricebirds came out swinging and running in the first inning Saturday. With lefty Jonathan Svoboda on the mound for the Bulldogs, leadoff batter Bryian Crivellari delivered a shot up the middle to get his team started.
El Campo utilized its speed and took advantage of Svoboda’s delivery, as Crivellari stole second and moved to third on an errant throw from the first baseman.
With one out, Clayton Harp drove in Crivellari with a single to right field. The Ricebirds went on to score another run and steal two more bases in the first inning.
“They (El Campo) put pressure on us,and we didn’t respond well,” Sweeny coach David Luster said. “We knew they were going to before the game, and we didn’t respond well.”
Sweeny responded with a run in the third after the first two batters reached. Hayden Fails came aboard on an error by the shortstop, then Svoboda was plunked by El Campo starter Tayton Priesmeyer to put runners on first and second.
A shot to right field off the bat of Cody Erikson loaded the bases with no outs. But the Bulldogs only managed to score one run, stranding two on the base paths. Leaving runners aboard was a common theme for Sweeny, as it left seven runners stranded in the game.
El Campo got the run back in the bottom of the third to push its lead back up to two, 3-1.
In the top of the fifth, the Bulldogs finally got to Priesmeyer.
With two outs and two on after a couple of walks by Priesmeyer, Sweeny slugger Mitchell Ullom smashed a shot toward the shortstop. Just as Andrew Saucedo attempted to field the ball, it took a wicked bounce and went over him into left field allowing both Erikson and Fails to score to tie the game at 3-all.
But El Campo again answered in the home half. With two outs, Chad Quinn, who was at third base, was caught off the bag by catcher Shawn Kelley. The junior’s throw from behind the plate hit third baseman Jairon Ordonez on target as he applied the tag to Quinn, which appeared to end the inning.
But the ball trickled out of Ordonez’s glove as he was applying the tag, allowing Quinn to remain on base.
Quinn scored moments later. After a walk, the runner on first took off for second on an attempted steal. As Kelley rifled the ball through the diamond, Quinn broke from third. The runner on second was called safe, and Quinn broke the tie to give the Ricebirds the lead for good, 4-3.
In the top of the sixth, the Bulldogs had a chance to tie it up once more.
Quinn replaced Prismeyer in the top of the fifth and walked Dax McCleary to start the frame. But Brett Bullard failed to move McCleary into scoring position when he popped up an attempted sacrifice bunt.
However, after catching the popup, Quinn overthrew the first baseman while attempting to double up McCleary, who advanced all the way to third with one out.
But Quinn fanned the next batter and induced a flyout to end the inning.
El Campo added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth, and the Bulldogs went down in order in the top of the seventh to end their season.
Sweeny (24-8-1) will lose Ordonez, Colton Clark, Ullom, Bullard and Christian Orr to graduation.
Joel Luna is the sports editor of The Facts. Contact him at 979-237-0160.
EL CAMPO — In a decisive baseball game between Sweeny and El Campo on Saturday afternoon, the Ricebirds made the plays needed to pull out a 5-3 best-of-three series-clinching win.
El Campo (26-5) moves on to the Class 4A Region IV semifinals to take on either Sinton or Robstown, which took a 1-0 lead in the series Friday, and the rest of the games were played Saturday night.
The Ricebirds came out swinging and running in the first inning Saturday. With lefty Jonathan Svoboda on the mound for the Bulldogs, leadoff batter Bryian Crivellari delivered a shot up the middle to get his team started.
El Campo utilized its speed and took advantage of Svoboda’s delivery, as Crivellari stole second and moved to third on an errant throw from the first baseman.
With one out, Clayton Harp drove in Crivellari with a single to right field. The Ricebirds went on to score another run and steal two more bases in the first inning.
“They (El Campo) put pressure on us,and we didn’t respond well,” Sweeny coach David Luster said. “We knew they were going to before the game, and we didn’t respond well.”
Sweeny responded with a run in the third after the first two batters reached. Hayden Fails came aboard on an error by the shortstop, then Svoboda was plunked by El Campo starter Tayton Priesmeyer to put runners on first and second.
A shot to right field off the bat of Cody Erikson loaded the bases with no outs. But the Bulldogs only managed to score one run, stranding two on the base paths. Leaving runners aboard was a common theme for Sweeny, as it left seven runners stranded in the game.
El Campo got the run back in the bottom of the third to push its lead back up to two, 3-1.
In the top of the fifth, the Bulldogs finally got to Priesmeyer.
With two outs and two on after a couple of walks by Priesmeyer, Sweeny slugger Mitchell Ullom smashed a shot toward the shortstop. Just as Andrew Saucedo attempted to field the ball, it took a wicked bounce and went over him into left field allowing both Erikson and Fails to score to tie the game at 3-all.
But El Campo again answered in the home half. With two outs, Chad Quinn, who was at third base, was caught off the bag by catcher Shawn Kelley. The junior’s throw from behind the plate hit third baseman Jairon Ordonez on target as he applied the tag to Quinn, which appeared to end the inning.
But the ball trickled out of Ordonez’s glove as he was applying the tag, allowing Quinn to remain on base.
Quinn scored moments later. After a walk, the runner on first took off for second on an attempted steal. As Kelley rifled the ball through the diamond, Quinn broke from third. The runner on second was called safe, and Quinn broke the tie to give the Ricebirds the lead for good, 4-3.
In the top of the sixth, the Bulldogs had a chance to tie it up once more.
Quinn replaced Prismeyer in the top of the fifth and walked Dax McCleary to start the frame. But Brett Bullard failed to move McCleary into scoring position when he popped up an attempted sacrifice bunt.
However, after catching the popup, Quinn overthrew the first baseman while attempting to double up McCleary, who advanced all the way to third with one out.
But Quinn fanned the next batter and induced a flyout to end the inning.
El Campo added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth, and the Bulldogs went down in order in the top of the seventh to end their season.
Sweeny (24-8-1) will lose Ordonez, Colton Clark, Ullom, Bullard and Christian Orr to graduation.
Joel Luna is the sports editor of The Facts. Contact him at 979-237-0160.