Mustangs gallop past New Diana
MARSHALL, Texas— Hughes Springs is on to the regional quarterfinals.
The Mustangs gave up an early home run in the first inning, but that didn’t faze them as they completed a two-game sweep against New Diana with a 6-3 victory on Saturday afternoon at East Texas Baptist University.
Alex Bruce appeared to be a little shaken in the first inning. The starter put the second batter on first after hitting him and Arkansas commit Jacob Burton blasted a two-run home run over the left-field wall to help the Eagles take an early 2-0 lead.
After allowing the homer, Bruce would fan the future Hog two times, and finish with a game-high five strike outs and a two-run home run of his own.
“Alex (Bruce) is a competitor,” Hughes Springs coach Brandon Green said. “He’s been that way for us all year. Our big saying this year is go back to zero. If something bad happens to us, we go back to zero. If something good happens to us, we go back to zero.”
The Mustangs got on the board in the third inning with Bruce’s homer to left. He brought in Triston Hickey, who reached on a walk.
From there, it would be all
Hughes Springs.
In the fifth frame, the Mustangs scored two more to take their first lead, 4-3. Alex Bruce reached on a fielding error and Riley McKinney brought both home with their second two-run shot of the game.
Alex Bruce would retire the side in the fifth and pitch out of a jam in the sixth to keep the Eagles off the scoreboard.
In the seventh, Hughes Springs added two more insurance runs. A wild pitch advanced Brady McEntire and Austin Bruce two bags, who each reached on walks, and Alex Bruce brought McEntire in with a double.
“We tried to put pressure on them most of the game and see if they can make a mistake or two,” Green said. “Those two runs in the sixth were big for us. It gave us some breathing room going into bottom of the inning.
With the win, Hughes Springs will go on to play either Queen City or White Oak next week back at ETBU. New Diana 201 000 0 — 3 33 Hughes Springs 002 022 x 6 3 1 Austin Green, Addison Holt (6) and Cole Willeford. Alex Bruce and Cooper Perry. WP-Bruce. LP-Green. HR: ND-Jacob Burton, 1st, one on. HS-Alex Bruce, 3rd, one on; Riley McKinney, 5th, one on.