Big inning lifts Oak Ridge North to victory over The Woodlands
It was a nice bounce back win for the Oak Ridge War Eagles Friday night early in the District 12-6A slate of games.
After taking a loss three nights earlier at the same scene against Conroe, the War Eagles used a big third inning against rival The Woodlands to earn a 6-1 victory.
The game is just one of three for the familiar foes. A year ago, the teams played three tight games with The Woodlands taking two wins. Just 16 runs were scored in those three games with 12 coming in the finale when the Highlanders won 8-4.
“We’ll take this,” Oak Ridge coach Mike Pirtle said. “The Woodlands is a very good team. I’m proud for the kids for the win. But we’re going to see them two more times, so we can’t get too happy.”
The game-changing moment Friday night came between two University of Texas Longhorn prospects.
With The Woodlands’ Will Swope on the hill and Chase Roberts at the plate for the War Eagles, Roberts got an offering that he lifted over the right-field fence for a 5-1 lead.
The three-run shot, which scored Logan Letney and James Starnes, was the result of a tough battle at the plate between the future teammates.
“[Roberts] finally got something he can handle and got it up,” Pirtle said. “He has a little bit of pop, and that was a big inning for us getting those three runs, plus the others.”
Oak Ridge (10-4, 1-1) couldn’t get much going offensively the first two innings.
After a couple zeroes were posted on the scoreboard, Oak Ridge got things going in the third. Josh Cobb had a nice piece of hitting to put the War Eagles on the board. Cobb showed bunt, but then pulled the ball passed the Highlanders’ shortstop to bring in Kevin Skweres.
“I thought Josh Cobb had a great at-bat to get us that first run,” Pirtle said.
Letney then followed with RBI single to right field to make it 2-1, Oak Ridge.
An inning after Roberts’ blast, Oak Ridge leadoff man Austin Brown added to his earlier run scored with an RBI single into shallow right field in the fourth inning to make it 6-1.
The Woodlands (7-8-1, 1-1), which came in on a 4-3 win over Montgomery Tuesday night, made it on the scoreboard first in the top of the second inning.
Cameron Caley hit an RBI single to put the Highlanders up 1-0. PJ Villareal, who singled to get on base, scored the run.
The Highlanders then chased Oak Ridge starter Trey Valka after putting two runners on base in the top of the third inning. Valka labored through the first inning, but escaped with two runners stranded. Then he had to strand two more in the second inning before putting the first two Highlanders batters aboard on a single and a walk in the third.
“He’s got great stuff, but he just couldn’t get it where he wanted to,” Pirtle said. “He got it over the plate a couple different times to good hitters and they hit it. He still got out of some really tough jams. We’re going to need him later. We just need to regroup and go back out there the next time.”
On came Kyle Harris, who got out of a bases loaded jam and continued on the mound the rest of the night with 77 pitches of relief and strikeouts.
“Awesome job,” Pirtle said. “He came in and threw strikes and kept off balance. They are really good hitters. He went a lot of pitchers for him. Usually he doesn’t go that many. But he found a way to do it for us.”
The Woodlands stranded 11 runners on the night, eight of which came in the first five innings.
“We’ve been doing that all season,” The Woodlands coach Ron Eastman said. “We had their pitcher on the ropes twice and didn’t make him pay. We didn’t come through with the big hit.”
Swope was effective through two innings before Oak Ridge got to him.
“Will was pitching well and all the sudden lost command in the third inning,” Eastman said. “He made a mistake on their two best hitters and they made us pay.”
Matthew Bulovas was effective in relief for The Woodlands. He went 2 innings with a strikeout and an earned run. He allowed just two hits.
At the plate, Swope reached base three times with a single and two walks. Leadoff man Shane Sirdashney also reached three times on two walks and a fielder’s choice.
For Oak Ridge, Brown was 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. Steven Spoon reached base twice with a single and a walk. Kevin Skweres and Will Cardin each had a double.
Oak Ridge travels to College Park Tuesday night while The Woodlands hosts 2-0 Conroe.