New Boston exits playoffs
HARLETON, Texas—The road ended here.
New Boston was shut out by Beckville, 5-0, in Game 2 in a bestof-three series of a Class 3A area round playoff baseball game at the Ballpark at Harleton.
The Bearcats won Game 1 on Friday, 6-1.
“This season was special,” Lion head coach Jordan Knight said. “It was my first year as a head coach, and I couldn’t of asked for a better group of seniors. It’s easy for seniors to not buy in, but these kids were ‘yes sir’ and ‘no sir’ the entire time. The seniors led the way, carried the torch, and that allowed us to place second in district and to win a playoff series. Not many people expected that in New Boston, so we are thankful for that and proud.
“I think the most memorable thing is when we beat Hughes Springs when they were ranked in the top fifteen and when we defeated Van Alstyne at our place. We were more confident and more hard working than most teams out there.”
Starting Lions’ pitcher Tyler Strain threw 6 1-3 innings, allowed four runs on four hits, struck out two and walked four. From the first inning until the start of the seventh, Strain and Bearcat pitcher Zeke Collins were locked in a pitchers’ duel. The scored remained 2-0 until the seventh.
Issac Whittington made an incredible catch in the second to rob Beckville’s Trey Lindsay of a home run.
Kyle Atkinson made a superb, diving catch in center field for New Boston in the third to help keep the Bearcats from scoring.
Twice the Lions loaded the bases, in the fifth and seventh frames, and each time they failed to get a run on the board.
“We had a couple of good opportunities, and I am most proud of the fact that we gave ourselves
those opportunities,” Knight said. “We were just a few hits away from making it a ballgame. We had hope all the way until the end; that means a lot for our community and school.”
With an out in the fifth, designated hitter Gage Smith laced a single to right center, and Stone Williams followed with with a single to left. Whittington was hit by a pitch to juice the bases for New Boston. But Beckville’s pitcher induced two fly balls to get out of the jam.
Down 5-0 in the seventh, the Lions rally began when Smith hit a single to left center. With an out, Whittington beat out the throw to first to avoid the double play as Smith was thrown out at second.
Brody Chitwood walked and Strain was hit by a pitch to load the bases with two outs. But a roller back to the pitcher ended New Boston’s journey.
Smith finished 2 for 3 with a pair of singles for the Lions, while teammates Williams, Chitwood, Jake Bobbitt, and Strain each singled. Beckville 200 000 3—5 6 0 New Boston 000 000 0—0 6 1 Zeke Collins and Bryce Osborn. Tyler Strain, Kyle Atkinson (7) and Brian Reid. WP-Collins. LP-Strain.