Pleasant Grove falls, 3-1, in state semifinals
Hawks fall to Wylie for second consecutive year
AUSTIN—For the second straight year, Abilene Wylie and the 4A state semifinals was the end of the line for Pleasant Grove’s baseball season.
The Hawks fell behind early and never got much offense going, managing just two hits—one a solo home run by catcher Keaton Russo— and never were able to mount a comeback during a 3-1 loss to the defending state champion Bulldogs on Wednesday at UFCU Disch-Falk Stadium.
Wylie (34-1) advances to play Waco Robinson (31-2) at 6:30 p.m. today for the UIL state championship. Robinson beat Sinton, 10-0, in six innings in the first semifinal.
“Our guys have nothing to hang their heads about; they’ve had an outstanding season,” Hawks coach Riley Fincher said.
Pleasant Grove’s season ends at 35-4, having made it to the state tournament eight of the past 10 seasons. The Hawks graduate 10 seniors from this year’s team, including pitcher Caleb Bolden, who took the loss.
Bolden was touched up for three runs on three hits in the first, but only gave up one hit over the last five innings. He struck out nine, walked one and threw 78 pitches—55 for strikes with first-pitch strikes to 18 of the 23 batters he faced
“I’m not a big believer in the righty-lefty (pitcher-hitter) matchup,” Fincher said about managing just two hits. “We tell out guys, ‘See the baseball, hit the baseball.’
“Their guy’s a great pitcher; he led them last year to the state championship game. We squared up some balls, but they made some good plays.”
Southpaw Connor Carlton, who defeated PG in last year’s state semifinal, earned the win. He gave up just two hits in seven innings, fanned
five, walked one, hit one and threw 95 pitches—59 for a strike.
Wylie started the game with singles by Zach Smith and Sam King on hard grounders to right. A bunt resulted in a fielder’s choice, as Russo threw out the lead runner at third.
A walk loaded the bases, and a strikeout recorded the second out. Cameron Hanna smashed a 2-2 offering deep, clearing the center fielder’s head, and it bounced all the way to the wall for a three-run triple to give the Bulldogs the early advantage.
After the first, Bolden settled down and gave up just one hit—a bloop singe in the third. He sat down the side in order in four of six innings, and retired the last 10 batters he faced, six on strikeouts.
“Caleb settled down, and from then on everyone saw what we’ve seen all year,” Fincher said. “He’s not just a great talent on the mound, but a competitor. He fills the strike zone and challenges hitters.
“We were one pitch away from getting out of the first inning (with no damage), but that’s why you play seven innings. I’m extremely proud of our guys, 100 percent.”
The leadoff batter for the Hawks reached on an error in the second inning, but he was erased on a strikeout-throw out double play to end the inning.
Heath Ferguson was hit by a pitch, with two down in the fourth but was stranded there.
Russo smacked a full-count pitch into the bullpen beyond the wall in left field for a solo home run to lead off the fifth inning for the Hawks, who hadn’t had a hit until the sophomore’s bomb. It was his first home run of his varsity career.
Two batters later, Connor Ouellette doubled down the right-field line but was left on base there when the inning ended.
Cade Thompson worked a four-pitch walk to start the fifth for Pleasant Grove, which left three runners on base. A fielder’s choice got Thompson out for the second out, and a runner was left at first to end the inning.
“We had good plate appearances, good at-bats, but once the ball leaves our bat, we have no control over it,” Fincher said. “All the control is on their defensive guys to make plays. We hit some balls hard, and they made some plays on us. That’s baseball.
“This group made me a better person for coaching them and being around them. We’ve got 10 seniors, they’re all going off to college somewhere to go be students. The amount of scholarships they earned and where they’re going, having five of these guys in the top 10 in the class, it shows what type of people they are and what type of families they come from.”