STINGERLESS
Hornets drop series opener to New Diana, 10-2
Hooks' inexperience in the outfield was a factor that now has the Hornets down one game in their best-of-three Region II-3A quarterfinal series.
The linescore indicated the Hornets had no errors Wednesday at Texas High's Tiger Field, but three misjudged fly balls contributed to New Diana's 10-2 victory.
Minus those mental mistakes the final score could have easily been closer, but senior right-hander Jacob Burton and his Eagle teammates never trailed.
The hard-throwing Burton allowed six hits and struck out 10, improving to 10-3 on the season.
Hooks (18-10) trailed 1-0 in the third when freshman Marquiz Estell, Carter Duncan and Connor Price had consecutive singles to load the bases with nobody out.
Burton excaped with a strikeout, popup and grounder to first.
"New Diana is a very well put together team; we tried to preach to our kids who ever made the fewest mistakes was going to win these game," Hooks coach Tony Hight said. "Tonight that was definitely New Diana. I know it goes down in the book that we had no errors, but we made a few mental mistakes tonight like running up on a line drive."
It was still 1-0 in the fifth inning when Jordan Stroud lined a drive to left. It was misjudged and went for a double. One out later Dakota DeBaun followed with a run-scoring single to right. Two walks and two wild pitches followed, making it a 3-0 score. Tristan Swain then lofted a sacrifice fly to right to make it 4-0.
The Hornets refused to rollover. Estell doubled to left to start Hooks' half of the fifth. He moved up on a grounder to second, making it to third when Connor Price was safe on a fielder's choice. Hight called for the suicide squeeze with Blake Starrett delivering a perfect bunt. Burton struck out the next batter to end the inning.
New Diana (24-5) bunched three hits and three walks to score five runs in the sixth to break the game
open. Stroud and DeBaun had singles, with Swain smashing a two-run double that dropped between two outfielders when it could have easily been the third out of the inning.
Senior Dylan Pool (10-3) suffered the pitching loss, walking five and striking out two.
The Eagles had 11 hits off Hooks' two pitchers. Stroud led the winners at the plate with a double and two singles, scoring twice and driving home a run. Cole Williford and Swain had a double and single each, with DeBaun contributing two singles.
"Anytime you get bases loaded with no outs you want to score at least one or two runs," Hight said. "That's how you get hurt in games like this, especially when it's against tough teams like New Diana."
Estell reached safely three times against the Eagles on his two hits and a walk. Price also had two infield hits for the Hornets. Hight indicated Starrett or Carter Duncan would be on the mound Friday for the Hornets when the series resumes at 5 p.m. on Pine Tree's Field of Dreams.
If Hooks wins that game, a decisive third encounter will follow 30 minutes later. New Diana 100 035 1 –10 11 0 Hooks 000 020 0 – 2 6 0 Jacob Burton and Cole Williford; Dylan Pool, Zach Smith (7) and Blake Starrett. WP-Burton (10-3); LP-Pool (10-3).