WEATHERFORD – The Brownwood Lions fell victim to a two-hit shutout by Chance Helton as the Iowa Park Hawks took control of the best-of-three Region I-4A baseball bi-district series with an 8-0 victory Friday night.
District 6-4A third seed Brownwood (10-12) mustered just a first-inning single up the middle by Kris Hobbs to go along with a third-inning infield single off the mound by Kaden Bessent. Byron Foster was hit by a pitch in the seventh inning to account for the only other Lion base runner.
Hunter Day went the distance on the mound for the Lions, yielding seven earned runs on nine hits with four strikeouts and five walks.
District 5-4A co-champ and second-seeded Iowa Park (18-8-2) broke a scoreless tie with four runs in the bottom of the second inning. Mason Ashlock led off with a double to the right field wall followed by a bunt single from Ty Cunningham. An RBI ground out by C.J. Miser plated Ashlock with the first run. Kade Thomas followed with an RBI ground out that brought home Cunningham. With two outs, Mason Cravens – running for for Miser – scored on a wild pitch. Helton later singled home Tom Garrett Slack, who drew a walk, to cap the scoring in the second.
The Hawks added a fifth run in the fourth inning as Janson Bernard, who led off the frame with a double, scored on a two-out wild pitch.
Iowa Park tacked on its final three runs in the sixth inning as Miser drew a walk and scored on Bernard’s two-run homer over the left field wall. With two outs in the inning, Jaydon Southard then launched a solo shot over the left field fence for the final run of the contest.
Games 2 and 3, if needed, begin at 4 p.m. Saturday back at Weatherford High School.
