After suffering a pair of one-run losses last week, and another in their first District 6-4A baseball meeting with the Gatesville Hornets, the Brownwood Lions were finally able to return the favor.
Kris Hobbs drove in all four runs, including the game-winner in the bottom of the seventh inning as the Lions picked up a crucial 4-3 victory over Gatesville in District 6-4A baseball action Tuesday night at Morris Southall Field.
“It’s good to get a win in a one-run game,” said Lions second-year head coach Brian Harris. “The last couple of games we battled really hard and competed pretty well in some spots, but I thought we did a really good job of doing that for a full seven innings tonight.”
Knotted at 3 heading into the final at-bat of regulation, the Lions received a lead-off single from Xadrian Mares, then another base hit from Reece Bolton. Owen Huntsinger followed with an intentional walk to load the bases with no outs, and Hobbs then delivered his third hit of the game.
“He’s been swinging the bat really well, not only in practice but in games,” Harris said of Hobbs. “Last Friday he hit the ball on the button several times, he just hit it right at guys.”
On the mound, Hunter Day went the distance and allowed three runs on six hits with 11 strikeouts and a pair of walks. Day also stranded four base runners, but none was more important than the one in the sixth inning. A lead-off single, coupled with an error and a passed ball, moved the runner to third base with no outs. Day responded by striking out the next three batters to keep the score deadlocked at 3.
“To strike out the side out with the go-ahead run at third base, he just buckles down and gets it done. I’m very proud of him for that,” Harris said of Day. “Looking at Hunter’s performance tonight it was nearly a mirror image of last Tuesday in Lampasas. He did a really good job and had a competitive spirit on the mound. His energy, the guys fed off that and that was a big key for us in winning this ball game. Hunter did not not want to come out of the game, but had it gone another inning he would have had to because he was at his pitch limit.”
The Lions grabbed a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the third as Trynten Slaughter led off with a walk, Logan Posey reached on a bunt single and, with one out, Reece Bolton bunted his way aboard. With two down, Hobbs stepped to the plate a slapped a two-RBI single over the second baseman’s head to break the scoreless tie.
Gatesville grabbed a 3-2 lead in the top of the fifth on a bases-loaded, two-out infield grounder that plated the first run, followed by a two-RBI single into right field.
The Lions immediately answered in the bottom of the fifth as Mares led off with a double, moved to third base on a sacrifice bunt by Bolton, and scored on Hobbs’ RBI single to right-center field to even the score at 3.
Brownwood (9-9, 5-4) reclaimed third place in the district standings with the victory, while Gatesville (14-9, 3-4) slipped into fourth place. The two teams meet again at 7 p.m. Friday in Gatesville in the rubber match of the three-game district series.
In other district action Tuesday, Stephenville (13-8, 6-1) solidified its hold on first place with a 2-0 win over Lampasas (9-14, 6-3).
