Area Championship

[CRHSeagle]

Baseball: Pilot Point drops series opener

08:37 AM CDT on Friday, May 13, 2005


By Ethan B. Szatmary / Stafff Writer



NORTH RICHLAND HILLS — Game 1 of Pilot Point’s Class 3A Region I area playoff series against Fort Worth Castleberry ended in a familiar fashion for Pilot Point athletics lately – controversy.

The Bearcats (18-7) fell, 6-4, to the Lions (14-13) at Rebel Yard, and they had a seventh-inning rally extinguished by a pair of controversial calls during one at-bat.

Pilot Point catcher Keith Peacock came to the plate as the tying run in a 6-3 game with no out and runners on first and second. Castleberry catcher Tony Steward, who just put on the gear behind the plate at the start of the inning when regular catcher Bobby Hernandez relieved starter James Lollis, appeared to interfere with Peacock as he hit a grounder to second. But, no interference was called.

When second baseman Oscar Avila attempted to turn two, Pilot Point shortstop Ethan Stuckley slid to break up the play at second and was not only called out but also called for interference, making Peacock out at first.

“That was catcher interference, “Peacock said.

“I was going into second base, and I went out of the baseline a little and clipped him in the legs,” Stuckley said. “That’s what I’ve been taught all of my life – to take him out. That’s what I did, and he called me out.”

Big brother Jacob Stuckley then redeemed Ethan with an RBI single, but Hernandez got Grant Guthrie to ground out to end the game. Jacob Stuckley finished 2-for-3 with an RBI and a walk.

Head coach Kenny Calhoun did not blame the bad calls for the loss. Pilot Point committed three errors in the first three innings that led to a 3-0 deficit.

“The three errors is the big deal in this one really,” Calhoun said. “It’s the way we’ve practiced all week. You play like you practice and our practice was pitiful all week long. We took this team too lightly.”

The Bearcats answered with three runs in the top of the fifth, with second baseman Ryan Hardin driving in third baseman James Bartee with a single, and Ethan Stuckley and Keith Peacock both coming up with fielder’s choices to drive in runs. Hardin finished 2-for-3 with an RBI and a walk.

But, Castleberry came right back, as right fielder Ryan Matney led off the bottom of the inning with a triple, starting a two-run inning that chased Pilot Point starter John Grumbles from the game. Matney went 3-for-4 on the night with an RBI and a run. The Lions added another run in the bottom of the sixth.

Grumbles gave up five runs on six hits with five strikeouts and three walks on 87 pitches.

After the game, the Bearcats were no longer taking Castlberry lightly with ace pitcher Tim Ford scheduled to start in Game 2 today.

“I’m not going to lie to you. We came out and took it easy on them,” Peacock said. “We weren’t ready to play today.

“We’ve got our ace going tomorrow, and when he’s on, nobody can stop him. Nobody wants to go home. I think we’ll come back tomorrow and be ready to play. If we play like we’ve been playing, that team won’t stop us.”


ETHAN B. SZATMARY can be reached at 940-566-6869.


Fort Worth Castleberry 6, Pilot Point 4

Pilot Point 000 030 1 — 6 7 3

Castleberry 003 021 x — 4 9 2

John Grumbles, Jacob Ashcraft (5) and Keith Peacock. James Lollis, Bobby Hernandez (7) and Hernandez, Tony Steward. W – Lollis (2-1); L – Grumbles (5-2). 3B – FWC: Steward, Ryan Matney, Lollis. 2B – PP: Tim Ford; FWC: Roman Mercado. Records – Pilot Point (18-7); Forth Worth Castleberry (14-13).

[CRHSeagle]

Baseball: Fort Worth Castleberry sweeps Pilot Point

09:24 AM CDT on Saturday, May 14, 2005


By Ethan B. Szatmary / Staff Writer



NORTH RICHLAND HILLS — Friday the 13th brought bad luck to the Pilot Point Bearcats.

Not only did Fort Worth Castleberry (15-13) sweep Pilot Point (18-8) in their Class 3A Region I area playoff series at Rebel Yard with a 6-1 win in Game 2 on Friday, but the Bearcats melted down with errors, mental mistakes and way too many runners left stranded, waiting for a ticket home.

“We should have never played today,” Pilot Point senior first baseman Jacob Stuckly said in reference to the unfortunate day and date of the Bearcats’ season finale.

By virtue of its 6-4 win in Game 1, Castleberry advances to take on the winner of the Graham-West series in the regional quarterfinals at a site and time to be determined.

After three scoreless innings, the game started to go bad for Pilot Point in the top of the fourth. Dustin Rockwell reached on a fielder’s choice for the Lions and then moved to second on a single by Oscar Avila.

Then, Pilot Point starter Tim Ford (8-1) threw a wild pitch in the dirt that bounced high up into the air. Catcher Keith Peacock could not locate the ball, as Rockwell raced around to score from second.

“Man, I don’t know what that was,” Ford said of the wild, wild pitch as he lamented the long break since Pilot Point’s last game. “I just sucked today. Two weeks off didn’t help.”

Ford picked up his first loss of the year, pitching 5 1/3 innings on 106 pitches and allowing six runs on seven hits. He struck out four but walked four, too.

An error in the top of the fifth led to two more Castleberry runs and a 3-0 lead before the Lions sandwiched four hits around another error to blow the game open with a three-run sixth.

Pilot Point scored its only run in the bottom of the fifth, when Ethan Stuckly delivered an infield single with the bases loaded. But, the Bearcats then left the bases loaded when Peacock and Jacob Stuckly both struck out swinging to put an end to Pilot Point’s scoring.

“We had our chances to score, and we didn’t,” Jacob Stuckly said. “I struck out when I should have put the ball in play. Speaking for myself, I was trying too hard because I wanted it too bad. I don’t know, I just didn’t hit like I normally can.”

The Bearcats had another opportunity in the bottom of the fourth, when shortstop Ethan Stuckly led off with a walk and catcher Keith Peacock followed with a single. A groundout by Jacob Stuckly put runners at second and third with one out, but then left fielder Grant Guthrie struck out swinging and Ford popped up to end the inning.

All in all, Pilot Point left seven runners on base in the game. While the Lions’ Ryan Matney went 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run and catcher Bobby Hernandez batted 2-for-4 with an RBI, no Bearcat managed multiple hits.

The Bearcats weren’t at all helped by the Lions’ pitching and defense. Starter Roman Mercado and reliever Avila held Pilot Point to four hits, and the middle infield combination of Rockwell and Avila scooped up everything hit anywhere near them.

Rockwell made a stop deep in the hole on Ethan Stuckly’s single in the fifth that kept a run from scoring, changing the complexion of that inning and the game.

“Their middle infield dominated,” Pilot Point head coach Kenny Calhoun said. “They made plays, and we didn’t. They were the better team in these two games.”

Despite the loss, the Bearcats tried to hold their heads high after the game. Their seniors did win their first district championship this year.

“It was great. We got a district championship – nothing I’ve ever done,” Jacob Stuckly said. “I wish we would have gone farther and made it past this round, but that’s how things go. Sometimes they don’t go your way, and obviously, this was one of those times.”


ETHAN B. SZATMARY can be reached at 940-566-6869.


Fort Worth Castleberry 6, Pilot Point 1

FWC 000 123 — 6 8 0

PP 000 01 — 1 4 2

Roman Mercado, Oscar Avila and Bobby Hernandez. Tim Ford, Jacob Ashcraft and Keith Peacock. W – Mercado (3-1); L – Ford (8-1). 2B – FWC: Jacob Waller. Records – Fort Worth Castleberry (15-13); Pilot Point (18-8).