The Boerne Champion baseball team answered Smithson Valley’s big inning with a big inning of their own Tuesday night when the Chargers hosted the Rangers in a district contest.
Smithson Valley plated 4 runs in the top of the fifth to take a 5-4 lead, but the Chargers fired back with 3 runs in the bottom half of the frame for the 7-5 advantage, which held until the end.
Champion’s two-run victory leaves them at 2-0 overall and 2-0 in district. The Chargers are scheduled to play in the San Antonio Classic this weekend and opened by hosting MacArthur and Vandegrift on Thursday. After that, the Chargers visit Smithson Valley Tuesday as they continue district play.
Champion struck first in last Tuesday’s contest with a couple of runs in the bottom of the second. After three walks were issued by the Rangers pitcher to load the bases with two outs; Sawyer Smith drove in 2 runs with a single for the 2-0 lead.
Smithson Va l l e y scratched for a run in the top of the third on a sac fly to left to bring in a runner from third and the lead was cut in half at 2-1, but the Chargers bumped its lead to 4-1 with 2 more runs in the bottom of the third.
Champion pitcher AJ Grizzaffi (second from left) gets congratulated by his teammates after he picked up a save to help the Chargers defeat district foe Smithson Valley Tuesday at Charger Field. Star photo by Kerry Barboza
Champion took advantage of a couple of walks to Cal Isley and Sam Miller to start the inning. Isley made it to third and later scored on a ground out by Jaedyn Yamaguchi.
Caiden Cruz entered as a courtesy runner for Miller and later scored on a Garland Whitehead single for the 4-1 advantage.
Champion’s lead wasn’t safe and the Rangers had their best inning of the night in the fifth and pushed in 4 runs.
A couple of walks, a hit batter, a single and a bases- clearing triple helped Smithson Valley take its first lead of the game at 5-4, but the Chargers responded in the bottom half of the inning in a big way.
Miller tripled to start things off, followed by a Whitehead walk and then an Aidan Smith double put the Chargers back on top 6-5.
Smith’s courtesy runner, Lawson Brinson later scored on an Austin Garritano sac fly to center to make it 7-5 in favor of the Chargers.
Smithson Valley went down in order in the sixth and put two runners on in the seventh, which means they brought the tying run to the plate but the rally ended there after AJ Grizzaffi struck out the last batter to end the threat and pick up the save.
Miller tripled, Sawyer Smith singled and picked up 2 RBI, Aidan Smith doubled, scored a run and collected 2 RBI, Isley singled and scored and was also issued 2 walks, Whitehead singled, scored, walked and drove in a run, Garritano picked up an RBI, Cruz scored twice and Brinson scored a run.
Sawyer Smith went 4 innings and struck out 5, Pearce Kelly faced 7 batters, Aidan Smith tossed 2 frames and fanned 2 to get the win, while Grizzaffi recorded the last out on three pitches to earn the save.
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