H.S. Baseball: Stephenville quiets Graham in Region I-4A quarterfinal series opener
KB Bowman and Nate Barry drove in three runs each, while Luke Heller hurled a two-hitter as Stephenville blasted Graham 10-0 in five innings in the opener of the Region I-4A quarterfinal series Thursday at ACU’s Crutcher Scott Field.
Heller struck out six and walked one in going all five innings for the Yellow Jackets (22-12-1).
Game 2 is 7 p.m. Friday at Crutcher Scott, while Game 3, if needed, would be at 2 p.m. Saturday.
The series winner plays the Canyon (24-8)-Midland Greenwood (19-14) winner in the region semifinals next week.
Nolan Casbeer hit a two-out triple in the bottom of the first and was left stranded, and Tripp Mahaney hit a one-out single in the third for the Steers’ two hits.
Graham (15-16-1) had a chance to get some runs in the third. Loesch reached on an error after Mahaney’s hit, but Heller got a fly ball and grounder to preserve the shutout.
Heller allowed only one baserunner the rest of the way, giving up a one-out walk in the fifth.
He got help from another Heller. Cason Heller went 3-for-3 at the plate and scored three runs. Bowman (2-3, two runs) and Barry (2-4, double, home run) also had big days at the plate, while Haiden Rudloff drove in two runs, and Tyler Hicks had an RBI.
Stephenville led just 3-0 before scoring three runs in the fourth – two on Barry’s double. Heller, who led off the inning with a double, scored on the hit.
Bowman’s three-run triple highlighted a four-run fifth. He scored on an error on the play – just before Barry hit a solo homer.
Gorman tops May
At Stephenville, Gorman scored seven runs in the fourth inning, and Joseph Rainey pitched 6⅓ strong innings as the Panthers beat May 7-4 in Game 1 of the Region I-1A semifinal series.
Rainey allowed four runs on five hits. He struck out 10 and walked three. Nashton Guthery got the final two outs in the seventh, retiring both batters he faced.
Luke McKenzie had two hits and two RBIs to lead May (14-5). Lane Goodson also had a double and scored twice.
Maddox Roberts, Hayden Clark, Erik Ramirez, Isaac Harris and Nathan Rodriguez each had RBIs for Gorman (14-11), which had only five hits.
Game 2 is 3 p.m. Saturday in Stephenville. Game 3 would follow, if needed.
The series’ winner plays the Nazareth-Claude winner in the region finals. Nazareth leads that series 1-0 and led the second game 3-0 in the top of the third before it was suspended. Game 2 will resume at 10 a.m. Friday in Plainview. Game 3 will be Saturday at West Plains.
This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Stephenville stops Graham in Region I-4A quarterfinal baseball opener
