San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
Silva triples pleasure to knock off Knights
MARION — Clark senior shortstop and TCU signee Anthony Silva hit two triples and scored three times to lead the Cougars to a 6-0 victory over Steele in a Class 6A one-game playoff Friday at Marion High School.
Clark senior pitcher Cody Edwards recorded six strikeouts and allowed one hit in the complete-game win.
The Cougars (21-7) will play Round Rock Westwood or San Marcos next week.
Silva went 2-for-2 with four RBIs. He also drew a walk in three plate appearances.
Silva opened the scoring in the bottom of the first when he cracked a triple off the right-field wall that scored courtesy runner Ethan Solis. Silva came across the plate on the same play on an error on a relay throw to third trying to get Silva.
Solis was running in place of leadoff hitter and sophomore catcher Jacob Silva, Anthony’s brother, who opened with a single.
“I wasn’t trying to do too much,” Anthony Silva said. “I was just trying to move the runner over because he got on to lead off our inning. I guess it worked out for me because I caught a barrell and the wind kind of took it.”
Anthony Silva increased the Cougars’ lead to 5-0 on a basesloaded triple with two outs that took the same path as his first hit.
“I knew (the pitcher) was going to attack me,” he said. “He threw me a first pitch curve ball and I jumped on it and I barrelled it up to right-center . ... Every single at-bat, I’m trying to help my team out as much as I can. Three runners happened to be on base, and it all worked out in the end.”
He knocked in Jake Neely, who doubled; Eli Castanon, who was hit by a pitch; and Solis, pinchrunning for Jacob Silva, who reached on an infield single.
That early lead helped Edwards.
“That really settles me in and gives me a big boost for the rest of the game, and it feels like I’m able to stick to my tempo,” Edwards said. “It really helps knowing if I make one, two mistakes, we’re still in the game and we still have the lead.”
Anthony Silva scored again in the fifth on a passed ball. He walked to get on base, advanced to second on an error on a pickoff try and went to third on a wild pitch.
Steele (17-8-1) had its only hit in the second inning on a single by pitcher Clint Lafferty. The following batter, Michael Castillo, was hit by a pitch. Edwards then picked off Castillo and struck out two to end the inning. He opened the third with two strikeouts and had five of his strikeouts in an eight-batter span.
“Cody’s been a four-year starter for us, and we know he’s a horse and we know he’s going to get into a rhythm,” Anthony Silva said. “We know just to get outs for him because he’s a very productive pitcher, so we do our part and we know he’s going to do his.”