Big Spring Steers baseball team takes second in Third Annual Comanche Classic
The Big Spring Steers Baseball team, continued play in the Third Annual Comanche Classic this past weekend in Fort Stockton. Big Spring would play three games over Friday and Saturday morning. They played The Kermit Yellow Jackets Friday afternoon, followed by facing off against the Fort Stockton Panthers Friday evening. The Steers would win both games, making a full sweep of the day. Big Spring would beat Kermit 9 to 4, and then Fort Stockton 14 to 11. They would then move to Saturday morning to take on the Fighting Bucks of Alpine, which would end up in a tie 7 to 7.
The Steers would kick off Friday's action as the away team taking to the batter's box first. The Steers would not do much with their chance initially; they did get a runner on base from an error by the Yellow Jackets but failed to push him across the plate. At the bottom of the first, Isaiah Diaz took the bump to the start of the day; Diaz would cruise through the first, getting three quick outs and not allowing any runs.
The game would remain locked in a pitcher's duel until the Steers were able to break through to begin the fourth inning. The inning would begin with Joshua Miramontes taking a walk to get the show started. Miramontes would go on to steal second base. Gabriel Baeza would then get a single scoring Miramontes to open up the scoring. Isaiah Diaz would follow suit with a single of his own advancing Beaeza to Second. Rickey Escovedo would then attempt a sacrifice and would reach base on an error. That would bring up Eli Cobos, who would drive in two with a line-drive single to right field. Maverick Yanez would work a walk to continue the string of runners reaching. Marcos Paredez would also earn a walk with the bases loaded, forcing home Escovedo. To make the score 4 to 0, the Steers were not done scoring, however. Maverick Yanes would end up scoring on a wild pitch. Then Pablito Dehoyos would send a double down the line, scoring Courtesy runner Braxton Sizenbach. The steers would push one more run across the plate, putting up an eight spot in the fourth, taking a commanding lead of 8 to 0.
The top of the fourth would find Diaz having a very comfortable lead as the young Steer would continue to deal on the mound doing short work by getting a three up three down inning.
Big Spring would add one more run in the top of the sixth to take a nine to 0 lead. The Yellow Jackets were able to get on the board in the bottom of the sixth inning, finding a way to score four runs without getting a hit.
Isaiah Diaz would combine with Isaiah Solis for a no-hitter on the day. Diaz finished the day going five innings, allowing three runs, only one earned, giving up zero hits, and striking out four on the day; Solis would finish off the game with one inning allowing one run, no hits, and a strikeout.
That would now take us to the second game of the day as the Steers took on the Fort Stockton Panthers in this would be a high-scoring affair.
The Steers started this game going scoreless in the top of the first. That would bring Joshua Miramontes to the mound for the night game. The steer pitcher would allow three runs in a shaky opening of the game.
Big Spring would score its first run when Jose Cantu would get a base hit single driving in Maverick Yanez. The bottom of the second would find Escovedo settling into a grove Striking out the first two batters of the inning and closing it out, giving up no runs.
Miramontes would start the third inning, driving a double to left field. Baez would then smash a line drive and end up on first, advancing Miramontes to third. Isaiah Diaz would deliver with a triple into left field, scoring two runs. Diaz would then score on a dropped strike. Eli Cobos would then earn a walk, and Maverick Yanez would single on a hard-hit ball to left field, scoring Escovedo, giving the Steers their first lead of the day 4 to 3. The Steers would continue the inning of strong play by scoring four runs total, bringing the lead to 5 to 3. The Fort Stockton panther would not go away; they would score single runs in back-to-back innings to take the tie the game at five-all heading into the Fifth.
The fifth inning would be where the young Steers would bust open the game scoring eight runs. The onslaught would begin with Eli Cobos driving a double to left field. Maverick Yanes would then add a single to drive in Courtesy runner Isiah Solis to take the lead back 6 to 5. Maverick Paredez would keep the train rolling by smashing a triple to left field that would drive in Yanez. Kyler Seymore would then come in as a courtesy runner for Paredez. Joshua Miramontes would drive a single to left field scoring Seymore stretching the lead to 8 to 5. Gabriel Baeza would be hit by a pitch sending him to first. Ricky Escovedo would step up to the plate and send a base hit single, driving in two more runs on the inning. The Steers would put up two more runs in the inning, stretching the lead to13 to 5.
The Steers would win the game 14 to 11 after the Panters tried to come back, scoring six runs in the final three innings.
That brings us to the tournament's final game for the Steers, as they would take on the Alpine bucks on Saturday morning. The Steers would go on to end the close game in a tie of 7 to 7. The steers did score three runs in the bottom of the fifth to tie the game up, but due to tournament time rules, the game would be called after due to the time limit.
The Steers would take second place in the Third Annual Comanche Classic bring the season record to 4-1-1. The Steer retake the field in yet another tournament, this time Held in Lubbock, as they are slated to take on Herford in the Levelland Tournament's opening round.
Dustin Pope is the Sports Writer for the Big Spring Herald. To contact him, e-mail sports@bigsprinherald.com or call 432-263-7331