STEPHENVILLE – For just the second time in 15 one-run decisions this season, the No. 10 Brownwood Lions came out on the short end, dropping Game 1 of their Region I-4A baseball area playoff series, 3-2, to the Decatur Eagles Thursday night.
The Lions (24-7-1) left seven base runners stranded, had two more thrown out on the base paths, and witnessed Decatur (23-9) rally with a pair of run in the top of the sixth inning.
“I thought we played a pretty good ball game against a pretty good team,” said Lions head coach Blake Sandford. “That’s just the way baseball goes sometimes. We just have to regroup, battle back, and come back tomorrow and get after them.”
Game 2 of the series is set for 4:30 p.m. Friday back at Stephenville High School, a contest the Lions must win to force Game 3 at 11 a.m. Saturday if they intend to extend their 2024 campaign past 2023’s postseason run.
Clinging to a 2-1 lead in top of the sixth inning Thursday night, Lions starting pitcher Gavin Brandstetter yielded a lead-off single up the middle to Lane West. West then stole second base on a pitch out as no one covered the bag for the Lions defense. A ground out by Zach Blum to shortstop Antonio Ybarra moved West to third base with one out, where he scored the tying run against a draw-in infield as James Mahoney singled down to the third base line to knot the score at 2.
With pinch-runner Luis Martinez on second base with two outs, Cooper House’s RBI single fell in front of Brownwood center fielder Jordyn Nickerson, as Martinez raced home for a 3-2 Decatur edge.
Brownwood was retired in order in the bottom of the sixth inning, and relief pitcher David Turner worked the Lions out of a jam in the top of the seventh. Liam Clounch singled and Jed Ross and West walked in succession to load the bases with one out, but Turner came on and struck out Blum and Mahoney to end the Decatur threat.
In the bottom of the seventh, Ybarra led off with an infield single as a line drive was ruled to have short-hopped the glove of West, the Decatur shortstop. A sacrifice bunt by Nickerson advanced Ybarra to second base, but the tying run was left stranded as Decatur reliever Blum retired Turner and Brandstetter.
Prior to grabbing the lead in the top of the sixth inning, Decatur started the fifth with back-to-back singles by Brody Kelley and Jaden Hensley. Clounch then popped up a sacrifice bunt attempt in front of the plate, where Logan Posey made the grab for the first out and fired down to second for the double play. Ross then grounded out to end that Decatur threat.
The Lions opened a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first as Turner singled to left field and Brandstetter followed with an infield hit. With two down, Eli Hill reached on an error that ricocheted off the Decatur first baseman Mahoney’s arm and allowed Turner to score the first Brownwood run. The Lions, however, left their first two runners on base.
In the second, Ybarra singled with two outs but didn’t get past first base.
Decatur drew even at 1 in the top of the third as Hensley led off with a single and scored on Ross’ one-out RBI triple as a sliding Nickerson was unable to make the grab in the outfield for the Lions.
Brownwood immediately answered in the bottom of the third as Brandstetter doubled down the left field line and courtesy-runner Caleb Nix came home on Logan Posey’s RBI double to shallow center field. Jack Field later walked with two outs, putting two runners on, but the Lions could not expand on their 2-1 advantage.
The Lions also put their lead-off batters on base in the bottom of the fifth and sixth innings – a single by Brandstetter and a hit by pitch by Field – but both base runners, including Nix courtesy-running for Brandstetter, were erased on stolen base attempts.
“We had some miscues on some stuff that we’ll correct when we get back,” Sandford said. “We’ll get that fixed as far as what we’re trying to accomplish base running-wise. With everything we do, it’s always going to be a learning moment and a learning opportunity to get ourselves better.”
The Lions finished with eight hits – three by Brandstetter, two by Ybarra, doubles from Posey and Nickerson, and a single by Turner.
On the mound, Brandstetter tossed 6.1 innings and allowed three runs on eight hits with four strikeouts and three walks. Turned worked two-thirds of an inning with both outs coming via strikeout.
Hensley picked up the win on the mound for Decatur, surrendering two runs on eight hits with five strikeouts and one walk. Hensley also recorded a team-best two hits for the Eagles.
As for the keys to the Lions putting Thursday’s result behind them, Sandford said, “You can’t live backward, you can’t live in the past. You have to live forward and move forward. That’s the main message. We have another ballgame tomorrow, and it’s a crucial ball game. We have to get after it.”
