After mustering just three runs and leaving 23 base runners stranded over their first two District 6-4A baseball contests, the Brownwood Lions offense was revived Friday night at Morris Southall Field during a crucial 12-5 victory over the Gatesville Hornets.
The Lions (3-8-1, 1-2) scored in each of the first three innings – once in the first, twice in the second and four times in the third – and added a five-spot in the bottom of the sixth inning to put the game out of reach.
Brownwood made the most of eight Gatesville (6-8, 1-1) errors and also recorded a dozen hits and logged three walks.
Gavin Brandstetter led the charge with three hits and an RBI; Case Markham, Logan Posey and Tristan Salinas each finished with two hits and a pair of RBIs; David Turner chipped in two hits and drove in one; and Jakob Hataway singled as well.
On the mound, Kyle Ivy worked five innings to collect the victory, allowing three runs – two earned – on three hits with six strikeouts and four walks. Cole Miller pitched an inning of relief and gave up two runs on a walk and two hit batters, with one strikeout. Markham tossed the final inning and surrendered only a walk.
Trailing 3-1 heading to the bottom of the second inning, the Lions reeled off six consecutive runs to forge an advantage they did not relinquish the rest of the contest.
Brownwood knotted the score at 3 in the bottom of the second as Hataway reached on a two-out error that allowed Turner, who doubled with one out, to score. Markham followed with an RBI single that drove in Salinas, who reached on an infield single.
The Lions surged in front, 7-3, in the third inning as Brandstetter drew a leadoff walk and scored the go-ahead run an on RBI double by Posey. After Jordyn Nickerson reached on an error, Turner followed with an RBI single that plated Nickerson for a 5-3 edge. With two down, Salinas and Ivy reached on consecutive Gatesville miscues, which resulted in the sixth run, then Markham singled home Justin Valdez, running Ivy.
Gatesville closed the gap to 7-5 in the top of the sixth inning, but Brownwood immediately fired back in the bottom half.
Markham was hit by a pitch and Brandstetter singled ahead of Posey’s line drive to left field, which boosted Brownwood’s lead to 9-5. Nickerson then reached on an error and Turner walked before Salinas singled to plate two for an 11-5 cushion. Campbell Gilmore then reached on a Gatesville miscue that allowed Salinas to produce the final run.
Though the Brownwood defense committed four errors, the pitching staff stranded 10 Gatesville base runners, included the bases loaded in the top of the fourth. Ivy escaped a sacks-full, no-out jam with an infield fly, strikeout and ground out to preserve the Lions’ momentum.
Brownwood is back in action at 7 p.m. Friday, March 25 at Stephenville (8-3-1, 2-0).
