Scoop27
06-01-2018, 08:08 AM
From The Brazosport Facts
VICTORIA — In order for the Sweeny Bulldogs to qualify for the Class 4A state semifinals, certain things were going to have to happen, whether it was the stars aligning themselves in a certain way or the moon having to be at a certain angle.
In reality, it was only the Bulldogs playing their brand of baseball.
On Thursday at Riverside Stadium, the Bulldogs (34-5) dusted themselves off after a 1-0 loss in the bottom of the seventh inning Wednesday in the first game to come from behind and sweep the Fredericksburg Billies, 12-3 and 2-1, to clinch the Class 4A Region IV title and qualify for the 4A state tournament next week at the University of Texas.
“There are no words and the kids knew what they had to do,” Sweeny first-year coach Mark Durham said afterward. “We told them there are two one-game series that they had to go win today, and they won the first one. That one was special because it was Blake Benavides’ 18th birthday. When they scored the two in the top of the first in that second game and he came up with the bases loaded and hit the grand-slam, I kind of maybe thought, maybe there is something in the air with his birthday to come up big with a shot.”
There might have been because in the decisive contest, it took, Caden Homniok and Jackson Kiddy on the mound to combine for a five-hitter to end the Billies’ (29-8) season.
“I can’t say enough about Jackson. He came in and threw five innings of shutout baseball,” Durham said. “That is huge for that kid. He just did an unbelievable job.”
Hominok threw 83 pitches on Wednesday, so he still had 27 pitches left to finish out the string with the new pitching rules this season.
Struggling at the plate, Homniok (0-for-5, walk, error) made a game-saving play in the top of the sixth. With one out, designated hitter Riggs Threadgill got an infield hit up the middle. With Don Flannery at the plate and the count at 1-2, Flannery lined a bullet up the middle. Homniok dove headfirst and snagged the ball in mid-air, then had the presence to double off the runner at first base.
“I really don’t know how I did it; for me, it was in slow motion,” Homniok said. “Whether it was the adrenaline or whatever, I had to go get it and do what I had to do.”
Fredericksburg took a 1-0 lead in the third inning as starting pitcher T.J. Tomlinson lined a triple down the third base line with Willy Sebera on first base.
With Tomlinson also holding down the Sweeny bats, the Bulldogs finally got something going in the fourth. Ty Ringo and Will Folse each singled to left field with one out to put runners on first and second.
A passed ball moved up Ringo and a courtesy runner for Quinton Martin, who singled to center field on a 3-2 count to score both runs. Martin was thrown out at second base trying to stretch his hit.
“I was just trying to hit it up the middle and he had been beating me all night on curveballs,” Martin said. “I just sat on it and drove it.
“This feels great, I am at a loss for words right now, but I just wanted to come out and play great for the community. We have a great fan base and I just wanted to play as best as I could for them.”
With the lead in hand, it was up to Kiddy as he allowed just two hits the rest of the way, sitting down the side in order in the top of the seventh.
The last time the Bulldogs were at state was in 2013. They will play in one of the 4A state semifinals at 1 or 4 p.m. on Wednesday at UFCU Disch Falk Field.
SWEENY 12, FREDERICKSBURG 3: Celebrating in style, Benavides’ slam over the left field wall was what started it for the Bulldogs in the first inning after they trailed 2-0.
“The ball started hooking so I really didn’t know,” Benavides said. “I was looking to hit a triple and I just wanted to keep it going for us. He had good junk, but I just sat on that fastball.”
It was a 2-1 count when Benavides looked like he golfed it out of the park.
“We just kind of fed off of that in the first game,” Durham said.
Sweeny added a couple more runs in the first frame with Nathan Nance getting a triple to drive in a run and Cord Filipp coming up with an RBI single up the middle for a 6-2 advantage.
Billie starter Ryan Segner was chased after 22 pitches as the Baylor-bound pitcher allowed three hits, a hit batsman and a walk before departing.
In the bottom of the second, Sweeny added two more runs off an errant throw by the third baseman to first base to make it 8-2.
Sweeny put it away in the third with four more runs off four hits. Filipp started that frame with a single to right field off reliever Kenneth Klier. A walk to Homniok and an infield bunt by Ringo loaded the bases for Folse.
The catcher had a 2-2 count when he singled to right field, bringing in two more runs for a 10-3 lead. Martin followed with a sacrifice fly to right field to bring in courtesy runner Mark Schumann and make it 11-3.
With two outs, a double to the left field gap by Joe Effenberger brought in courtesy runner Cody Kotrla for the final run for the Bulldogs.
Ringo went six innings for the victory, allowing four hits.
He didn’t allow a hit after the second frame and also had six strikeouts to go with a walk. He was pulled in the sixth ater throwing only 67 pitches.
The Bulldog bats totaled 12 hits, with Ringo and Effenberger going 3-for-4; Benavides going 2-for-4 and Filipp 2-for-3.
VICTORIA — In order for the Sweeny Bulldogs to qualify for the Class 4A state semifinals, certain things were going to have to happen, whether it was the stars aligning themselves in a certain way or the moon having to be at a certain angle.
In reality, it was only the Bulldogs playing their brand of baseball.
On Thursday at Riverside Stadium, the Bulldogs (34-5) dusted themselves off after a 1-0 loss in the bottom of the seventh inning Wednesday in the first game to come from behind and sweep the Fredericksburg Billies, 12-3 and 2-1, to clinch the Class 4A Region IV title and qualify for the 4A state tournament next week at the University of Texas.
“There are no words and the kids knew what they had to do,” Sweeny first-year coach Mark Durham said afterward. “We told them there are two one-game series that they had to go win today, and they won the first one. That one was special because it was Blake Benavides’ 18th birthday. When they scored the two in the top of the first in that second game and he came up with the bases loaded and hit the grand-slam, I kind of maybe thought, maybe there is something in the air with his birthday to come up big with a shot.”
There might have been because in the decisive contest, it took, Caden Homniok and Jackson Kiddy on the mound to combine for a five-hitter to end the Billies’ (29-8) season.
“I can’t say enough about Jackson. He came in and threw five innings of shutout baseball,” Durham said. “That is huge for that kid. He just did an unbelievable job.”
Hominok threw 83 pitches on Wednesday, so he still had 27 pitches left to finish out the string with the new pitching rules this season.
Struggling at the plate, Homniok (0-for-5, walk, error) made a game-saving play in the top of the sixth. With one out, designated hitter Riggs Threadgill got an infield hit up the middle. With Don Flannery at the plate and the count at 1-2, Flannery lined a bullet up the middle. Homniok dove headfirst and snagged the ball in mid-air, then had the presence to double off the runner at first base.
“I really don’t know how I did it; for me, it was in slow motion,” Homniok said. “Whether it was the adrenaline or whatever, I had to go get it and do what I had to do.”
Fredericksburg took a 1-0 lead in the third inning as starting pitcher T.J. Tomlinson lined a triple down the third base line with Willy Sebera on first base.
With Tomlinson also holding down the Sweeny bats, the Bulldogs finally got something going in the fourth. Ty Ringo and Will Folse each singled to left field with one out to put runners on first and second.
A passed ball moved up Ringo and a courtesy runner for Quinton Martin, who singled to center field on a 3-2 count to score both runs. Martin was thrown out at second base trying to stretch his hit.
“I was just trying to hit it up the middle and he had been beating me all night on curveballs,” Martin said. “I just sat on it and drove it.
“This feels great, I am at a loss for words right now, but I just wanted to come out and play great for the community. We have a great fan base and I just wanted to play as best as I could for them.”
With the lead in hand, it was up to Kiddy as he allowed just two hits the rest of the way, sitting down the side in order in the top of the seventh.
The last time the Bulldogs were at state was in 2013. They will play in one of the 4A state semifinals at 1 or 4 p.m. on Wednesday at UFCU Disch Falk Field.
SWEENY 12, FREDERICKSBURG 3: Celebrating in style, Benavides’ slam over the left field wall was what started it for the Bulldogs in the first inning after they trailed 2-0.
“The ball started hooking so I really didn’t know,” Benavides said. “I was looking to hit a triple and I just wanted to keep it going for us. He had good junk, but I just sat on that fastball.”
It was a 2-1 count when Benavides looked like he golfed it out of the park.
“We just kind of fed off of that in the first game,” Durham said.
Sweeny added a couple more runs in the first frame with Nathan Nance getting a triple to drive in a run and Cord Filipp coming up with an RBI single up the middle for a 6-2 advantage.
Billie starter Ryan Segner was chased after 22 pitches as the Baylor-bound pitcher allowed three hits, a hit batsman and a walk before departing.
In the bottom of the second, Sweeny added two more runs off an errant throw by the third baseman to first base to make it 8-2.
Sweeny put it away in the third with four more runs off four hits. Filipp started that frame with a single to right field off reliever Kenneth Klier. A walk to Homniok and an infield bunt by Ringo loaded the bases for Folse.
The catcher had a 2-2 count when he singled to right field, bringing in two more runs for a 10-3 lead. Martin followed with a sacrifice fly to right field to bring in courtesy runner Mark Schumann and make it 11-3.
With two outs, a double to the left field gap by Joe Effenberger brought in courtesy runner Cody Kotrla for the final run for the Bulldogs.
Ringo went six innings for the victory, allowing four hits.
He didn’t allow a hit after the second frame and also had six strikeouts to go with a walk. He was pulled in the sixth ater throwing only 67 pitches.
The Bulldog bats totaled 12 hits, with Ringo and Effenberger going 3-for-4; Benavides going 2-for-4 and Filipp 2-for-3.