Boerne Champion picked up a couple of non-district baseball games this week as they take a break from their district schedule during spring break.
The Chargers hosted O’Connor Tuesday and then played Reagan Wednesday at the Northeast Sports Park.
Champion resumes 26-5A action with a couple of games against Alamo Heights this week. The Chargers host Alamo Heights Tuesday and then play at the Mules home field on Friday.
The Chargers 2-1 in district.
Vs. Reagan
The Rattlers rallied late and defeated the Chargers, 5-3. Champion was up 3-0 but Reagan tied it at 3-3 and then scored 2 runs in the bottom of the sixth and held on from there.
Champion had 6 hits in the game and sits at 11-4 overall. For more on the Reagan contest, see the Boerne Star.
Vs. O’Connor
Tuesday’s win over O’Connor was Champion’s second against the Panthers this season. The Chargers also defeated O’Connor on March 1 in five innings, 14-2.
After a scoreless first inning, Champion loaded the bases in the second with a walk, single and another walk. A third walk in the frame allowed Aidan Smith to score from third for the 1-0 lead.
The Chargers had the bases loaded and no outs, but the Panthers were able to get out of the jam without giving up any more runs that inning.
However, Champion pushed in 4 more runs in the third despite O’Connor turning a double play. A walk by Aidan Smith and a triple from Sawyer Smith allowed Aidan Smith to score and make it 2-0.
Jaedyn Yamaguchi singled and brought in Sawyer Smith’s courtesy runner, Mark Thompson, and it was 3-0 and the Chargers weren’t done.
Austin Garritano was hit by a pitch to make it to first and move Yamaguchi’s courtesy runner, Caiden Cruz, to second.
Garritano and Cruz both swiped a bag to move up a base and then scored on a Sam Miller line drive up the middle to bump the lead to 5-0.
O’Connor had a good at bat in the top of the fourth and the Panthers scratched for 2 runs. A couple of singles and a double cut into the Chargers lead at 5-2, but Champion got one of those runs back in the bottom half of the inning.
Garland Whitehead walked, stole second and moved to third on a wild pitch. He scored from there on an RBIground out by Sawyer Smith and it was 6-2 at the end of four innings.
Neither team scored the rest of the way after O’Connor was kept off the board in its final three at bats, while the Chargers didn’t have to bat in the seventh.
Champion had a promising start in the bottom of the fifth inning with a double and a walk, but the Panthers turned another double play to end the threat.
Sawyer Smith had a solid day at the plate for the Chargers and hit a triple and 2 singles, while driving in 2 runs. Miller doubled and singled and picked up 2 RBI, Yamaguchi singled and had an RBI, Thompson and Cruz both scored one run, Whitehead was walked three times and scored a run, while Aidan Smith also walked three times and scored twice.
Sawyer Smith went 5 innings on the hill and earned the win on 64 pitches. Smith yielded 4 hits, 2 runs, 1 walk and struck out 4.
Owen Kuhl picked up the save in two innings of work. Kuhl tossed 21 pitches, gave up 1 hit, no runs or walks and sat down 1.
Comment
Comments