Kerrville Tivy tops Chargers in third round of playoffs

SAN ANTONIO – It’s not that Boerne Champion couldn’t hit Kerrville Tivy pitching, rather their thirdround playoff series came down to the fact that the Chargers just didn’t score enough runs.

Champion recorded 14 hits in their three games with the Antlers, but the Chargers only tallied 3 runs in the entire series.

Kerrville Tivy only had one more hit than Champion did in the series with 15 and didn’t score a whole lot more than the Chargers, but the Antlers were able to come up with timely hits and the 7 runs they scored was enough to send Kerrville to the next round.

The Antlers dropped the first game to Champion, 2-1, but won the next two, 3-0 and 3-1, to take the series.

Champion coach Ben Woodchick said he was hoping their bats would break through like they did against MacArthur in the previous round where they scored 15 runs in one game to close it out, but it just didn’t happen.

“I just thought there would be a time where the floodgates would open a little bit. We weren’t putting together great at bats, but I felt like there would come a time, especially in the middle innings, when we would open it up a little bit,” he said. “It didn’t happen and you have to tip your hat to Tivy’s pitching staff. They’ve done a really good job, especially late in the year. They gave up one run through a five-game stretch to give themselves a chance to get into the playoffs. They haven’t given up much past that, we scored three runs in three games. We knew it needed to be more than that, but the kids battled their tails off and I couldn’t be prouder.”

Champion finishes the year at 31-9 overall. They were coming off their most successful season ever after playing in the state tournament last year, the only time the program has made it that far.

Woodchick said they definitely had a target on their backs this season.

“All year we’ve been in a different mental state because of what we did last year,” he said. “We got everyone’s best, but the way the kids performed all year under that pressure was incredible.”

The team will graduate eight seniors: Patrick Price, Quinn Grable, Evan Kuhl, Cam Logan, Jordan Ballin, Brock Browning, Matthew Booth and Gage Goldberg.

“This senior class is unreal. Eight of the best kids you could coach,” Woodchick said. “All eight are leaders off the field, they’re great humans. They’ll leave big shoes to fill, that’s for dang sure.”

Game 3

Saturday’s decisive Game 3 in San Antonio came down to the last few innings. It was 0-0 through four frames before the Chargers broke the ice and scored in the bottom of the fifth.

Aidan Smith started off the inning with a walk. His courtesy runner, Mark Thompson, moved to second on an error and then stole third. Pinch hitter Austin Garritano grounded out to the right side of the infield to score Thompson and it was 1-0, but the lead didn’t hold for long.

A couple of singles in the sixth put two Antlers on base. A throw to second on an infield grounder ended up going into the outfield, allowing the runner at second to make it home and it was tied at 1-1.

The Antlers pulled ahead for good in the top of the seventh. A hit batter and a single put two runners on for the Antlers. A two-out double to left that almost cleared the fence pushed in the two base runners and Tivy had pulled ahead, 3-1, before the Chargers could get out of the inning.

Champion had one last chance in the bottom of the seventh after Jordan Ballin singled in the inning, but that was their only hit of the frame as the Antlers wrapped up the series.

Ballin had 2 of their 5 hits, while Evan Kuhl, Garland Whitehead and Cam Logan all singled.

Garritano had the team’s only RBI and Thompson scored their only run, the final one of the season.

AJ Grizzaffi pitched a strong game and went 6.2 innings. He gave up 6 hits, only 2 earned runs, no walks and fanned 10. Jacob Schwope finished it out and struck out one batter.

Woodchick said it was a great season despite not making it past the third round and gave Kerrville a lot of credit for playing them tough.

“Our bats got cold and their arms got hot. They have the same type of momentum going that we Game 2

had last year,” he said. “But we accomplished every goal outside of the big one, which is to win it all, and only one team is going to do that.”

Tivy won Friday’s Game 2 in Kerrville, 3-0, and it marked the first time Champion was kept off the board in more than two months.

The last time the Chargers didn’t score in a game came in tournament play when they lost to Central Catholic, 4-0, on March 1 and were then shutout by Victoria East the next day, 8-0.

Champion had 2 hits in the game, a double by Gage Goldberg and a single from Evan Kuhl, while Cam Logan walked and Owen Kuhl reached on an error to account for their only base runners of the game.

Tivy scored a run in the first inning with a walk and 2 singles – all with two outs – for the 1-0 lead.

The Antlers added a pair of insurance runs later in the game. In the fourth, a single and a passed ball allowed a runner to score from second on another single for the 2-0 advantage.

In the sixth, a single, sac bunt and a stolen base allowed a Tivy runner to score from third on a sac fly to make it 3-0.

Evan Kuhl had his single in the seventh to start the inning and made it to third but the Antlers recorded the third out before Kuhl could score to end it.

Matthew Booth started on the hill and went 5.1 innings. He scattered 6 hits, 2 earned runs and only gave up 1 walk, while striking out 1.

Jacob Schwope finished out the game by facing two batters and fanned one, while not giving up a hit, run or walk.

Game 1

Champion only scored 2 runs but it was enough as the Chargers defeated the Antlers, 2-1, in a defensive battle Thursday at Charger Field.

Tivy plated a run in the third inning and used an error, double and a single for the 1-0 lead.

Kerrville’s lead held until the sixth when Champion chased Oklahoma State commit Stormy Rhodes from the game.

In the sixth, Cam Logan walked and made it to second. With two outs, Gage Goldberg, who has come up clutch all season long for the Chargers, doubled to right field to tie it up at 1-1 after Logan scored from second.

Goldberg’s courtesy runner, Brock Browning, later scored after Garland Whitehead hit a bloop that was mishandled by the Tivy second baseman, which allowed Browning to make it home and give the Chargers their first and only lead of the game at 2-1.

Rhodes gave up one more hit and left with a pitch count of 100.

Tivy still had to bat in the seventh but didn’t put a runner on after Sawyer Smith struck out two batters and got the other to fly out to right field.

Smith tossed 101 pitches, scattered 3 hits, gave up no earned runs and 1 walk, while striking out 5.

Goldberg had 2 of their 7 hits and picked up an RBI, while Cam Logan and Brock Browning scored their only runs.

Jordan Ballin, Quinn Grable, Evan Kuhl, Garland Whitehead and Andrew Harrison all finished with one hit in the game.