Cougars out-slug Klein, four homers to two
Woodlands – A hitter’s park is what some call Scotland Yard. Down the left and right lines, it extends to 320 feet, in the power alleys, 345 and straight away center, 360. That statement became factual Saturday afternoon.
A combined six home runs, made the yard seem small, sprinkled with a lack of great pitching. Either way, it was bombs away.
“If it was my choice to play here again, I wouldn’t, because this was the most home runs I’ve seen hit in a series”, Cougars third baseman David Gonzales said.
David Gonzales not only took part in the home run hitting derby, with his game winning bomb. But, he used his glove in a game saving double play to help propel the Tomball Cougars passed Klein, 11-10 in game three of the Class 5A Region III Quarterfinals.
With the win the Cougars will face the winner of A&M Consolidated/Temple next week at a time and place to be determined.
Gonzales solo shot in the top of the fourth gave Tomball an 11-8 lead. Just before his defensive gym in the bottom of the fifth.
“Well, there a pretty tough team (Klein)”, Gonzales said. We knew they were going to fight back. Pitching wasn’t the best for either team. We made a couple errors, but we kept hitting the ball and so did they.
Bearkats Blake Rhodes reached first on an error charged to shortstop Anthony Lucas. Ryan Jackson singled to right and Andrew Santacroce’s infield single left the bases loaded. Reese Jefferies followed with a 2-run single, trimming the deficit 11-10. Later, with pinch runner Andrew Hamm on second, Santacroce on third, pitcher Nick Pederson, attempting to help his own aid, ripped a line drive that which speared by Gonzales, who took two steps to his left, gloved the ball, and immediately threw to second base, doubling up Hamm who, just as the Klein fans, surely saw a base hit.
Klein’s coach Barry Smith said, “I really didn’t expect that kind of ball game today. “It came right down to the end, we had our chances. In a game like this, a pitch here, a fly ball there goes out it’s a different game. But that’s the way it is for both sides. It’s just a heck of a ball game. I’m proud of my guys being down 5-0 in the top of the first and battling back. I felt like we came out and competed. I’m proud of them. You can’t win every ball game, even though you want to.”
“It’s tough to say good bye to the seniors. I’ve watched these guy grow. I feel like they contributed to the legacy of what Klein baseball”, Smith said.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, the Bearkats again got two base runners in scoring position only to see Jackson ground out to second, ending the threat. That brought the number of stranded, to six.
After one out in the seventh, Jefferies single to left field. However, Johnathon Tripp hit into a game ending double play, ending Klein’s two-year run to Round Rock.
In the effort, Tomball used four pitchers to get the job done, which included Eric Dunbar, Robert Dugger, Braeden Holub and Michael Herrera.
A dream first inning left the Tomball faithful cheering and shouting. The Cougars easily took advance of a struggling Pederson, with a five hit attack powered by Matt Mundkowsky’s 3-run jack to lead 5-0.
However, soon after the never surrendering Beartkats brought the Klein crowd to its feet, by recording a four spot on the scoreboard. Junior Shortstop Alex Smith, who was the highlight reel of the series, sent a 3-run bomb up in the trees in left center field to draw within one, 5-4. In game two and three, the hot hitting Smith registered, 4 home runs and 10 RBIs, bringing his season total to five, with all coming in post-season.
“I’m proud of my guys being down 5-0 in the top of the first and battling back”, Smith said.
“It’s just a team effort. It just goes to show you, no matter how many home runs you hit or RBIs, it’s a team sport. It’s just terrible to lose. It’s hard to handle right now. The ball seemed pretty fat this weekend”, said Klein’s shortstop Alex Smith.
The first inning set the tone for a game that scored a combined 21 runs off 22 hits. Most of that seemed from two high caliber-hitting teams.
Tomball added three more runs in the second, increasing its lead 8-4.
In the bottom of the third, the Bearkats chased Dunbar, Cougars starting pitcher from the game. Just moments later, Smith greeted relief pitcher Dugger with a two-run shot, pulling Klein within two, and (8-6). It was the first pitch from Dugger. In the same inning, Reese Jefferies run scoring sac fly and Tripp’s single to center tied the game at eight.
Never the less, the Cougars refused to settle when Spence Rahm added a two-run homer to left and Gonzales followed with the game winning solo shot in the top of the 4th. Klein trimmed the lead (11-10) on Jefferies 2-RBI, but that would as close it would get.
“I’m just real pleased with our kids. We battled, but Klein has such a great ball club. It’s so nerve racking playing them because they just hit and hit throughout their lineup”, Tomball’s coach Doug Rush said. There isn’t an out in their lineup. Just to come away with a victory, it speaks a lot about our kids. Our pitching wasn’t as sharp as I wanted today, but I tell you what. Holub and Herrera came in and did good job for us.”
