The Champion baseball team closed out the regular season on a three-game win streak and in the process the Chargers secured a playoff spot and wrapped up third place in 26-5A.
Champion closed out the regular season with a sweep of Seguin last week to tie Kerrville Tivy for third place in the district standings. The Chargers and Antlers met Monday in Boerne and Champion defeated Tivy.
In all three wins, the Chargers scored 9 runs in each of their games. They defeated Seguin at home last Tuesday, 9-0, and then beat the Matadors Saturday afternoon in Marion, 9-2. Seguin was originally scheduled to host the game on Friday, then it moved to Charger Field because of the weather but ultimately, they played Saturday in Marion.
The two wins tied the Chargers and Antlers for third and then Champion whipped the Antlers on Monday, 9-2, to secure third.
The Chargers enter the playoffs this week with a record of 23-9-1. They ended district play at 9-5.
For more on the Tivy game, see this weekend’s Boerne Star.
Chargers 9, Seguin 0
The Chargers hosted Seguin on Tuesday and blasted the Matadors 9-0 in seven innings.
Last Tuesday’s contest was all about the seniors so Chargers coach Ben Woodchick let his seniors see a lot of action and said they rose to the occasion.
“Our guys are always waiting for their turn, so I was happy to see them get out there tonight,” he said. “Every single one of them hit the ball hard and made plays where they were at.”
Two of the senior pitchers – Rowdy Miller and Nate Mayo – combined for a shutout and limited the Matadors to two hits.
“We had two seniors that held them to a goose egg,” Woodchick said. “All the seniors did really well on a night that they deserved. They provided a spark there in the fifth.”
The spark Woodchick is referring to basically blew the game open for the Chargers. They were leading 4-0 going into the bottom of the fifth and plated 5 runs to make it 9-0. Champion had the game-ending run at third that would have kicked in the mercy rule but Seguin got out of the inning. The Matadors took the game to the seventh but the Chargers never gave up a run.
Miller scattered 2 hits in five innings to get the win, while fanning 6 and walking 2. Mayo threw the last two frames, struck out 3 and didn’t give up a hit, walk or run.
The Chargers finished with 7 hits including a triple by Quinn Grable and a double by Garland Whitehead. Grable also singled and scored 2 runs, Cam Logan singled, Wyatt Chandler picked up an RBI, Jordan Ballin walked and scored once, Evan Kuhl singled and scored 2 runs,Andrew Frei and Ethan Harrison both plated single runs, Gage Goldberg singled and drove in a run, Jared Wingo singled, picked up an RBI and score and Nic Cortez scored a run.
Chargers 9, Seguin 2
Champion didn’t score in every inning, but when the Chargers did score in Saturday’s contest, they plated at least two runs per frame.
Champion pushed in 2 in the first, 2 more in the fourth and fifth frames for the 6-0 lead. They tacked on 3 runs in the sixth for the 9-0 lead, but Seguin was able to break up the shutout with a 2-run homer in the bottom of the sixth. Neither team scored in the seventh.
Champion’s Nic Cortez hit a home run of his own in the fourth to bring in two runs.
The Chargers hit it well and finished with 12 hits, including the Cortez homer and they also had three doubles, two from Sam Miller and another from Grant Kinzel.
Miller also hit a single and drove in 2 runs and Kinzel scored and picked up an RBI.
Jordan Ballin singled, walked and brought in a run, Evan Kuhl singled and scored, Andrew Frei plated 2 runs, Quinn Grable singled, picked up an RBI and scored twice, Wyatt Chandler scored once, Jared Wingo hit 3 singles, scored a run and drove in a run, while Garland Whitehead singled and picked up an RBI.
Jacob Schwope went 5 innings to earn the win from the mound. Schwope gave up 2 hits, no runs, 1 walk and struck out 8. Matthew Booth finished up on the hill and tossed the final two frames. He yielded 3 hits, 2 runs, 1 walk and fanned 2.
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