Steers fall short against Lubbock Estacado
The Big Spring Steers Baseball Team took a trip to Lubbock to take on the Lubbock Estacado Matadors on Good Friday, April 2, in a District battle. Big Spring took the loss ending with a 20 to 12 final score. The loss moves the Steers to 11-11-1 on the season and a 2-5 district record.
The Steers jumped on Estacado in the top of the first inning scoring four runs. Big Spring got things started when Maverick Yanez reached base on an error. Next up, Josh Miramontes had a hardhit single to advance Yanez to second. Freshman Isaiah Diaz then stepped into the box and delivered a hard-hit single to load the Steers' bases. Marcus Paredez then smashed a double to drive in the first two runs of the inning. Isaiah Diaz then had a single to move in a third run of the inning. Braxton Sizenbach had a sacrifice fly to center to drive in the fourth run of the inning. Sophomore Pitcher Ricky Escovedo took the mound for the Steers enjoying a four-run lead heading into the bottom of the first. Estacado cut into that four-run lead by scoring two runs of their own to tighten things up.
Leading 4 to 2 after one inning of play, the Steers failed to score in the second inning, leaving the score as 4 to 2 heading into the bottom of the second. Estacado continued to battle back, scoring two more runs in the bottom of the second, tying the game at four-all.
With a tie game heading into the third inning, the Steers again got back on track in the inning by scoring five runs in the inning. Escovedo started off the inning with a walk. Paredez then had a triple to drive in a run. That brought up Sizenbach, who had a hard-hit double to drive home Paredez. That gave the Steers a lead of 6 to 4. Jose Cantu reached base when the Estacado committed an error that allowed him to get on base and allowed Sizenbach to score. Lead-off man Maverick Yanez kept the momentum going with a hard-hit single of his own. Josh Miramontes then narrowly missed a home run to left field, settling for a two-run triple to increase the lead to 9 to 4. The big inning seemed to get the Steers back on track as Escovedo was able to shut the Estacado bats down in the bottom of the third, leaving the Steers with a 9 to 4 lead after three innings of play.
Big Spring did not score in the top of the fourth inning, leaving the Steers lead at 9 to 4 heading into the bottom of the fourth inning. The bottom of the fourth was when Lubbock stated to come on in the game. In an inning filled with errors from the defense and walks, Estacado was able to score six runs in the inning to take a 10 to 9 lead.
The Steers tried to answer back in the top of the fifth, scoring one run to tie the game up to ten apiece. Unfortunately, the Steers struggled again at the bottom of the fifth. The Matadors' bats capitalized by putting up three more runs to once again take the lead back at 13 to 10.
The young steers showed their fight by answering back in the top of the sixth inning when they score two more runs. Maverick Yanez accounted for the two runs when the Steer had a double drive in the two runs. Those two runs cut the Matador lead to 13 to 12. Lubbock shut the door on any comeback attempt at the bottom of the sixth when they could score seven more runs opening the lead to 20 to 12.
Being down by eight runs heading into the seventh and final inning is too much for any team to overcome. The Steers went on to fall in this game by a final score of 20 to 12.
This Steers team is a young one; on most nights, they start two maybe three seniors, the rest are all underclassmen. This team is exceptionally talented, perhaps one of the most talented teams I've ever covered.
With a team that is so young, they have some growing pains right now. It's no secret they have been struggling as of late, but I'm here to tell you, once this team gets on a roll, the sky is the limit for these young men. They still have time to get this thing rolling in the right direction, and I 100% believe these guys will. They have two games this coming week against San Angelo Lake View. Tuesday's game is in San Angelo, Friday the Steers are at home. If they can get on a roll and gain some confidence this week, they will be a sight to see.