Adidas410s
05-25-2007, 08:12 AM
MIDLAND - Landon Lindley's line would have been good for a starting pitcher. It was even better coming in relief.
The senior right-hander took the mound for Wylie in the bottom of the first with two on and nobody out, then went on to pitch 5 2/3 innings while giving up three hits and striking out four to earn the win as the Bulldogs defeated Andrews 8-4 Thursday night at Christensen Stadium in Game 1 of the best-of-three Region I-3A baseball semifinals.
''Landon did an unbelievable job,'' Wylie coach Clay Martin said. ''Landon is a great competitor and that's what that situation took, and he stepped right in in a difficult situation.''
Bulldogs starter Chance Bragg lasted only nine pitches and threw just one for a strike, walking Andrews' first two batters before Martin pulled him in favor of Lindley.
''I knew when he called for me I had a job to do,'' said Lindley, who improved to 3-0 and was also 2-for-3 at the plate with two runs scored. ''I knew we had a good team behind us, and so I just threw and they hit it and we made plays, and that's what happened.
Lindley allowed a double to Brantley Miller that brought both runners home in the bottom of the first, but Miller was thrown out trying to stretch his hit into a triple, and the next two batters went down in order.
The Mustangs did not come up with another hit until Ryan Diaz doubled in the sixth inning following an error that put Malachi Melton on the start the frame. They each scored unearned runs on RBI groundouts to get to within four, and Andrews put two more runners on with a single and a walk before Michael Strong took the mound for the Bulldogs to try to close the game.
With the top of the order up, courtesy runner Ernest Marquez attempted to advance to third on a passed ball but was tagged out when he slid past the base, ending the inning.
Wylie's offense was most effective with two outs. After being shut out in the first two innings, right fielder Mason Macnoll slapped a 3-2 pitch into left field for a two-out double in the top of the third, and after a walk and a hit batter to load the bases, he scored the Bulldogs' first run when Michael Strong walked to force him home.
Wylie added four more runs in the next inning, and all of them came with two away as well. Macnoll, who went 4-for-4 with a walk and two stolen bases, hit an RBI single that scored Lindley and came across the plate on a two-run double by first baseman Joey Rustenhaven. The Bulldogs scored again on an errant throw to first from the shortstop to take a 5-2 lead.
''Our team's never done,'' Lindley said. ''If we've got two outs in the bottom of the seventh and we're down five runs, we're still going to come back out and fight our heart out and get as many runs and hits as we can.''
The other three runs for Wylie came in the fifth. Nathan Saltzgaber hit an RBI triple to left-center field and scored when twin brother Derek followed with a double, and Derek came across on a Rustenhaven sacrifice fly.
The win was the 30th of the season for the No. 2 Bulldogs against two losses and one tie, while the Mustangs fell to 22-10.
McMurry's Driggers Field will host the conclusion of the series Saturday, with Game 2 scheduled for 2 p.m. and Game 3, if necessary, coming 30 minutes after its end.
Wylie 8, Andrews 4
Game 1
Wylie 001 430 0-8 12 4
Andrews 200 002 0-4 4 1
Chance Bragg, Landon Lindley (1), Michael Strong (6) and Martin Burleson. Levi Saenz, Jesus Saldana (4), David Salinas (7) and Kyle Coomer. W – Lindley (3-0). L – Saenz (8-2). S – Strong (2). 2B – Wylie: Derek Saltzgaber, Mason Macnoll, Joey Rustenhaven; Andrews: Brantley Miller, Ryan Diaz. 3B – Wylie: Nathan Saltzgaber, Josh Hilliard.
Records – Wylie 30-2-1, Andrews 22-10.
The senior right-hander took the mound for Wylie in the bottom of the first with two on and nobody out, then went on to pitch 5 2/3 innings while giving up three hits and striking out four to earn the win as the Bulldogs defeated Andrews 8-4 Thursday night at Christensen Stadium in Game 1 of the best-of-three Region I-3A baseball semifinals.
''Landon did an unbelievable job,'' Wylie coach Clay Martin said. ''Landon is a great competitor and that's what that situation took, and he stepped right in in a difficult situation.''
Bulldogs starter Chance Bragg lasted only nine pitches and threw just one for a strike, walking Andrews' first two batters before Martin pulled him in favor of Lindley.
''I knew when he called for me I had a job to do,'' said Lindley, who improved to 3-0 and was also 2-for-3 at the plate with two runs scored. ''I knew we had a good team behind us, and so I just threw and they hit it and we made plays, and that's what happened.
Lindley allowed a double to Brantley Miller that brought both runners home in the bottom of the first, but Miller was thrown out trying to stretch his hit into a triple, and the next two batters went down in order.
The Mustangs did not come up with another hit until Ryan Diaz doubled in the sixth inning following an error that put Malachi Melton on the start the frame. They each scored unearned runs on RBI groundouts to get to within four, and Andrews put two more runners on with a single and a walk before Michael Strong took the mound for the Bulldogs to try to close the game.
With the top of the order up, courtesy runner Ernest Marquez attempted to advance to third on a passed ball but was tagged out when he slid past the base, ending the inning.
Wylie's offense was most effective with two outs. After being shut out in the first two innings, right fielder Mason Macnoll slapped a 3-2 pitch into left field for a two-out double in the top of the third, and after a walk and a hit batter to load the bases, he scored the Bulldogs' first run when Michael Strong walked to force him home.
Wylie added four more runs in the next inning, and all of them came with two away as well. Macnoll, who went 4-for-4 with a walk and two stolen bases, hit an RBI single that scored Lindley and came across the plate on a two-run double by first baseman Joey Rustenhaven. The Bulldogs scored again on an errant throw to first from the shortstop to take a 5-2 lead.
''Our team's never done,'' Lindley said. ''If we've got two outs in the bottom of the seventh and we're down five runs, we're still going to come back out and fight our heart out and get as many runs and hits as we can.''
The other three runs for Wylie came in the fifth. Nathan Saltzgaber hit an RBI triple to left-center field and scored when twin brother Derek followed with a double, and Derek came across on a Rustenhaven sacrifice fly.
The win was the 30th of the season for the No. 2 Bulldogs against two losses and one tie, while the Mustangs fell to 22-10.
McMurry's Driggers Field will host the conclusion of the series Saturday, with Game 2 scheduled for 2 p.m. and Game 3, if necessary, coming 30 minutes after its end.
Wylie 8, Andrews 4
Game 1
Wylie 001 430 0-8 12 4
Andrews 200 002 0-4 4 1
Chance Bragg, Landon Lindley (1), Michael Strong (6) and Martin Burleson. Levi Saenz, Jesus Saldana (4), David Salinas (7) and Kyle Coomer. W – Lindley (3-0). L – Saenz (8-2). S – Strong (2). 2B – Wylie: Derek Saltzgaber, Mason Macnoll, Joey Rustenhaven; Andrews: Brantley Miller, Ryan Diaz. 3B – Wylie: Nathan Saltzgaber, Josh Hilliard.
Records – Wylie 30-2-1, Andrews 22-10.