It was a perfect run through south Texas for the Colbert Leopard baseball team as they were victorious in four outings while a host of other county squads saw success on the road as well.
Caddo notched four wins in a pair of Oklahoma festivals while Calera and Silo each recorded two victories on the gulf coast.
Colbert Baseball
The Leopards erupted for 13 hits in a win over Natalia (103) riding three hits from Jordan as well as a pair doubles from Jackson.
They built a 5-0 cushion after two innings against Bishop but needed late heroics with a single run in the eighth and another in the ninth that proved to be the game winner. A Trevor Jackson RBI double in the eighth looked like it might help end it, but the Badgers answered with a run to force another extra frame. A Braxton Reese triple to center field put Colbert in front for good.
Colbert swung around the offensive charge as Jackson, Isaiah Lopez, Brett Parsons, Kaden Neill and Reese all tallied two hits each.
A tight 3-2 win over Tuloso-Midway was a definite highlight as the Leopards rode a three-hit complete game pitching effort from Neill as the senior righthander yielded two unearned runs on three hits and struck out seven.
Neill helped his own cause with a pair of hits, including a double, and drove in two. Jackson also had two hits.
Coach Zach Crabtree’s club rounded out the week with a win over Jones, Texas (125) fueled by Parsons on the mound and at the plate. He scattered four hits over six frames and added three hits offensively and knocked in a pair of runs.
Caddo Baseball
Competing in festivals at Rock Creek and Arapaho sandwiched around Spring Break, the Bruins claimed four wins in five outings.
The Bruins belted Tupelo (19-4) and Rock Creek (11-3) to start the week and then closed with triumphs over ranked foes from Verden (13-2) and Fletcher (11-10) ahead of a loss to Arapaho (4-3).
Bayler Black had the massive offensive performance against Tupelo, smacking a double and home run while driving in fourth tallies. Boen Proctor was the catalyst facing Rock Creek, belting a pair of doubles, while Jet Rose added three hits and three RBI.
Cale Wigington homered in the Verden contest while Nathaniel Hallmark drove in four runs with a pair of hits.
Caddo won a wild slugfest over Fletcher, including pushing across four runs in its final at bat in the sixth to finally grab the lead for good. Black and Jase Counce each blasted home runs.
The Bruins were limited to four hits in the Arapaho matchup and a late rally fell just short in the final stanza. Black had two of the hits with Kale Brister and Proctor adding one apiece.
Calera Baseball
The Bulldogs broke even in four games at Gulf Shores with the most impressive performances coming in triumphs over Class 6A Norman North (1-0) as well as Trinity Presbyterian (4-3). They also fell to Hazel Green (9-2) and Alabama Christian Academy (9-1).
Gavin Chaffin was exceptional on the mound to turn the tide against Norman North as he scattered six hits and struck four in the complete game shutout. Jaron Varner’s RBI single in the sixth stanza drove in Hoff Weil for what proved to be the only run of the game.
Logan Bumgarner tossed seven strong innings, yielding seven hits while striking out seven, but didn’t figure in the final decision as Hazyn Applegate notched the final three outs in the eighth for the Trinity triumph. Weil posted a pair of hits and drove in a run.
It was two hits each by Bumgarner and Demarcus Dunn in the Hazel Green loss and they only picked up four total hits in the Alabama Christian setback.
Silo Baseball
Silo rode a dominant pitching effort from southpaw Cannon Atwood to a victory over Rock Canyon, Colorado (6-1) in its opening contest in Tampa, Florida.
The sophomore allowed one unearned run on five hits and fanned seven in notching the mound triumph.
Difficulty throwing strikes led to the Rebel downfall against Rutherford, Florida (15-6) despite three hits by Atwood and another two Blane Beauchamp.
The Rebels bounced back with a strong decision over Kennedy Catholic, New York (12-4), breaking open a tight game with seven tallies in the seventh.
Aiden McCarty tossed fourplus frames while allowing a run on six hits for the mound win. Warner Bradley highlighted a big offensive showcase with two doubles and a triple while also knocking in three runs. Ty Hatley and Jacob Wright also contributed three hits to the charge.
Silo finished up with a loss to Montour, Pennsylvania (53) as Zane Sander was the only Rebel with more than one hit.