The Brownwood Lions rallied from six runs down for a walk-off win in their Brown County Invitational opener, but couldn’t escape a five-run hole in the nightcap as head coach Brian Harris’ squad earned an opening day split at Morris Southall Field.
After spotting the Wall Hawks a 6-0 lead, the Lions stormed back with seven runs in their final two trips to the plate for a 7-6 five-inning time-limit victory in Thursday’s afternoon game.
Thursday evening, the Lions fell behind 5-0 against the Jim Ned Indians, but another comeback come up short in a 5-2 loss for Brownwood.
“We talk about playing like a family and acting like a family and we did that all night, both games,” said Lions head coach Brian Harris. “I know we didn’t pick up a win in the second game, but the first game was really a momentum builder for us. We’re still trying to figure out who we are as a team and honestly I’m still trying to figure out what these guys can do athletically and what they can execute on the field and at the plate. I can’t tell you how proud I am of them. I told them we wanted to be a team that when we left tonight we are better than when we got here and we’re on our way to doing that.”
Trailing by six entering the bottom of the fifth inning, the Lions cut Wall’s lead in half with three runs during the frame.
Kris Hobbs led off with a single then Trynten Slaughter reached on an error. With runners on second and third and no outs, Byron Foster delivered a two-RBI single to left field to put the Lions on the board, 6-2. With two outs, Owen Huntsinger drew a walk, putting runners on the corners with Case Markham at third running for Foster. The Lions then pulled off a double steal as Huntsinger swiped second base and Markham raced home to trim Wall’s lead to 6-3.
In the top of the fifth inning, Foster – on in relief of Xadrian Mares and Kaden Bessent – retired Jim Ned in order to keep the Lions’ hopes alive.
The bottom of the fifth featured a lead single by Gavin Brandstetter, then Hobbs singled off the pitcher and Slaughter drew a walk to load the bases with no outs. Foster drilled a two-RBI single to center field that plated Brandstetter and Hobbs and brought the Lions within 6-5. With two outs, Mares beat out a slow roller to third base, diving in safely at first base to plate Atticus Porter – running for Foster – with the tying run. Huntsinger then ripped a ball down the third base line, which the left fielder overran, allowing Mares to sprint home with the decisive run.
“The whole game we just talked about quality at-bats and playing the game,” Harris said. “Whatever the game of baseball gives us, we’ve got to do it. If the game tells you bunt, or steal, or turn a double play, whatever it is we just preached to do that every inning, and get better every inning. We struggled early. I could tell they were a little bit down, the dugout was a little bit quiet, and once the momentum shifted our way the guys woke up and started believing in each other and cheering for each other.”
The Lions finished with nine hits – two each by Foster and Hobbs and one apiece from Huntsinger, Mares, Brandstetter, Reece Bolton and Hunter Day.
On the mound, Brandstetter, Bessent and Foster combined to allow four earned runs on four hits with six walks and three strikeouts. The Brownwood defense committed two errors.
Against Jim Ned, the Lions yielded single runs in the first, third and fifth innings, along with two in the fourth. Brownwood tallied its two runs in the bottom of the fifth.
Bolton’s RBI double knocked in Logan Posey, who reached on a fielder’s choice that eliminated Huntsinger, who singled to start the frame. Brandstetter later walked with two outs, and another successful double steal allowed Bolton to come home from third base for the Lions’ second run.
Brownwood recorded just three hits – two by Bolton and one by Huntsinger.
On the mound, Mares, David Turner and Porter teamed up to allow three earned runs on eight hits with seven strikeouts and three walks. Defensively, the Lions committed three errors.
“We’ve got to cut down on the physical errors,” Harris said. “We talked after the Brock game about our baseball IQ – understanding the situation, knowing what to do with the ball before the ball is pitched and when it’s hit to me knowing what to do with the ball. We are getting a little bit better and our goal is to be a lot better baseball team by March 9 which is when district starts.”
Brownwood (1-2) will host Andrews at 5:30 p.m. Friday and San Angelo Lake View at 5:30 p.m. Saturday to conclude tournament action.
