Gateway Prep wins first game over Lago Vista,
Five-run inning earns Game 1 win over 25-3A rivals.
Throughout the season, Gateway Prep and Lago Vista fought for positioning in the District 25-3A baseball standings. On Thursday, Gateway Prep took the lead in a battle for a spot in the regional semifinals.
A 6-1 victory gave Gateway Prep a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three third-round playoff series against Lago Vista. Playing at Liberty Hill High, the Gators limited Lago Vista to two hits.
The Gators (16-6) and Vikings (23-6) will return to Liberty Hill on Friday for Game 2 of the series. Neither Lago Vista junior Josiah Rohne nor Gateway Prep sophomore Steven Vejil — two pitchers who have thrown no-hitters in the postseason — were used Thursday.
“Regular season, you’re just trying to make it to the playoffs. Now we’re trying to make it to state,” Gateway Prep senior pitcher Michael Houle said of his team’s rivalry with the Vikings.
Lago Vista and Gateway Prep split two games during the regular season, each team picking up a one-run victory at home. Another close contest appeared to be in the works Thursday, when Lago Vista senior JT Buckley and Gateway Prep senior Dallas Dotson were the only players to cross home plate over the first five innings.
The Gators pulled away during the sixth inning, scoring five runs despite having only one of their two hits leave the infield. Gateway Prep sophomore Hunter Sager contributed a run-scoring single to center field, but the Gators also scored on a fielding error, a bases-loaded walk and two wild pitches.
Weather had turned the Gators’ first two postseason series into onegame affairs, so Houle had not pitched since a 5-3 victory over Florence on April 28. Houle surrendered five walks and a single over the first three innings, but he settled down and allowed only more three baserunners before he was removed with one out in the seventh.
Georgetown 2, Boerne Champion 0: Georgetown (20-11) took advantage of three errors to score an unearned run in each of the first two innings, and Blake Anderson scattered five hits as the Eagles won the opener of a Class 5A baseball regional quarterfinal series at Concordia University.
Jack McDonnell led off the game with a walk and advanced to third on an errant pick-off attempt. He scored on T.J. Raguse’s groundout.
Wyatt Smith reached second on a two-base error to open the second inning, and he eventually scored on a wild pitch.
Anderson (7-3) issued a pair of one-out walks in the third, but the threat ended with two groundouts.
Champion slipped to 24-10.
The series will resume Friday at Concordia. — MARK CHAMP, AA-S CORRESPONDENT
Softball
Liberty Hill 4, Orange Grove 3: Kallen Floyd’s solo homer in the eighth inning gave Liberty Hill a 1-0 series lead in a Class 4A regional-semifinal series.
The Lady Panthers led for five innings before Orange Grove tied it in the sixth. Two innings later, Floyd broke the tie.
Liberty Hill built a 3-0 lead, as Joely Williamson drove in two runs.
The series resumes Friday at San Marcos High. — JACKSON WOLEK, AA-S CORRESPONDENT