Chargers suffer first loss in 26-5A baseball

Boerne Champion suffered its first loss in District 26-5A baseball Friday night at the hands of Veterans Memorial.

After falling behind 2-0, the Patriots rallied to score the final 4 runs of the game with 3 in the fourth and another in the fifth frame to get the 4-2 victory.

The Chargers are 15-5-1 overall and 3-1 in district. They began a series with New Braunfels Canyon this week, Tuesday at Canyon and Friday at home. First pitch for Friday’s game is set for 7 p.m.

Champion won its first meeting with Veterans Memorial on Tuesday and had a fast start on Friday and looked like they may sweep the Patriots.

The Chargers tallied 2 runs in the top of the first on a Grant Kinzel two- out single to bring in Jordan Ballin and Cam Logan.

Ba l l i n reached on a single and Logan made it safely on a fielder ’s choice and both came home on the Kinzel hit, but the Chargers didn’t score the rest of the way and ended up leaving 9 stranded on the base paths.

The Patriots put together a good inning in the fourth and pushed in 3 runs. A double, single and two walks, followed by a fielder’s choice tied it at 2- 2 and left the Patriots with runners at second and third and only one out. Another ’s fielder ’s choice – a bunt – brought in the runner from third to give Veterans Memorial its first lead of the game.

Champion turned a double play to get out of the inning but the damage was done and the Patriots were leading, 3-2.

Veterans Memorial turned a double play of its own in the top of the fifth to end a threat and then in the bottom half of the inning added to its lead. Two walks, one of them intentional, put the force in play with two outs but a Pats single brought in the runner from second and bumped the lead to 4-2.

The Chargers tried to answer in the sixth and had two runners on base, one of them at third, with only one out, but consecutive strikeouts ended the threat.

Champion again had two runners on in the top of the seventh but couldn’t produce the timely hit as the Patriots closed it out.

Champion had more hits than Ve t e r a n s Memorial, 5-4, but the Patriots had more runs.

Jordan Ballin, Grant Kinzel, Garland Whitehead, Aidan Smith and Sam Miller all knocked out singles, with Ballin and Cam Logan scoring single runs and Kinzel driving in 2 runs. Ballin, Logan and Ethan Harrison all took 2 walks for the team.

Jackson Melanson went 5 innings on the hill and yielded 4 hits, 4 runs, 5 walks and struck out 3. Jacob Schwope tossed an inning and didn’t give up a hit or run, 1 walk and fanned 2.