Sweeny-Cuero game story

From the Brazosport Facts

WEIMAR — For the second weekend in a row, the Cuero Gobblers almost came from behind to clinch another Class 4A Region IV baseball series.

The Gobblers were well on their way in the third and decisive game in their regional semifinal series against Sweeny on Saturday night. However an explosive fifth inning by the Bulldogs led to 7-3 victory at Veterans Memorial Park Strickland Field.

Trailing 3-1 going to the top of the fifth with Jared Barta limiting the Sweeny bats to three hits and a run, the Bulldogs needed a spark.

“We were kind of dragging, but we were hitting the ball right at them and we just didn’t have that one to find the hole,” Sweeny coach Mark Durham said.

With two quick strikes to leadoff batter Jaden Bohlar, Jared Barta looked like he was ready to ring up his third strikeout of the game. Instead, Bohlar slammed a shot down the first-base line all the way to the corner in right field.

“It was his curve ball, that I just didn’t pick up on his first two pitches,” Bohlar said about his at-bat. “But on the third one, I sat on it and drove it the other way. I guess I got a triple.”

That shot changed everything for the Bulldogs at the plate, and with one out, No. 9 hitter, Cord Filipp singled to centerfield, bringing in Bohlar to cut the deficit to 3-2.

Back to the top of the order, a balk moved Filipp to second base, but at the same time erased a single by Caden Homniok. After order was restored, Homniok did it again, this time up the middle to leave runners on the corners.

The game was tied when Ty Ringo’s grounder to the shortstop brought in Filipp to make it 3-3. With Homniok still standing at first base with two outs, catcher Wes Folse laced a shot down the third-base line that made it all the way to the wall, scoring Homniok with the go-ahead run and Folse ended up with his own triple.

A wild pitch by Barta scored courtesy runner Cody Kotrla to make it 5-3 with Quinton Martin at the plate. Not to be outdone by his teammates, Martin got in on the triple action as he got the ball over the center fielder. Though he was stranded at third base, the Bulldogs served notice.

“I told them when we got that third out in the fourth inning, you guys just have to relax up there,” Durham said. “Get it started and once Jaden got that triple, that is where it started and before you know it, there was a four-spot in that inning. In fact, that is what I just finished telling them here right now, it only takes one.”

In the sixth, Homniok drove in Joe Effenberger, who had doubled to start the inning and make it 6-3.

Sweeny’s final run in the top of the seventh came off a single from Blake Benavides. The Bulldogs totaled 12 hits as eight of the nine hitters got at least a hit in the clinching ball game.

“Holy moly, what a day. I can’t even explain what I feel right now,” Durham said. “Those guys are good and Cuero is here for a reason. They just gave us everything that we needed today. He’s got two good pitchers that pitched today. They are not overbearing, but they were hitting their spots and throwing their breaking balls for strikes. They were just giving us fits and we were not relaxed. We were trying to hit three-run home runs with nobody on and we were pressing.”

The bats for Sweeny finally came through when they needed them, but if there was a single player who kept them in the game, it was Ringo.

The left-hander took over on the mound with two outs in the bottom of the second and runners on first and second base after Cuero had already scored twice to take a 2-1 lead. Ringo served up a groundout to Michael Barta to end that threat.

In those final five innings, Cuero managed to score a run and get three hits off Ringo, who finished with the win off 82 pitches, eight strikeouts and a couple of walks.

“We saved Ty for this particular reason, what can you say about him,” Durham said.

Next up in the Region IV final is Fredericksburg, which disposed of Beeville Jones in two games.