West Texas Area Playoff Round-up

SEMINOLE, TX- Seminole High School played host to an area playoff game between the Scorpions of Clint Horizon (24-8, 13-5) and the Sandies of Amarillo (24-8, 13-3) on Saturday afternoon. With Amarillo taking the first game of the series Horizon found their season on the verge of being ended, with a loss in game two.

Weatherford JC commit LHP Karson Kite would take the hill for Amarillo. Early location trouble from Kite would result in an early Horizon lead in the bottom of the first on a sac-fly from RF Manny Ruiz (1-0).

Amarillo would begin to find their stride in the third, after an RBI single from junior 3B Memo Fraustowould give the Sandies a 2-1 lead. Continued offensive productivity in fifth would give Amarillo a comfortable lead, after an RBI triple from TCU signee SS Rhett Maynard (3-1), and back-to-back RBI singles from West Texas A&M commits DH Corbin Langham and 1B Brett Williams, and an RBI double from C Trey McCampbell to extend the lead to 6-1. In the sixth, Maynard would continue his offensive showing with a solo shot to deep right-centerfield to make it 7-1 Sandies.

Horzion would make it interesting in the bottom-half of the sixth adding three runs (7-4) on a big time two-run RBI double from junior 1B Christian Paz, and a sac-fly from DH Emi Uribe. Despite, the hard-fought effort Horizon would ultimately fall to Amarillo 8-4. Kite would pick up the win and despite early location troubles would settle in going six innings pitched, four scoreless, four punchouts, and only allowing three hits.

Final Score: Amarillo 8, Horizon 5.

ANDREWS, TX- We made the short drive to Andrews, TX Saturday afternoon to see a decisive game three between El Paso Eastlake (26-10, 14-4) and Lubbock Coronado (21-15, 12-4). With Eastlake taking game one 5-4 Friday night, and Coronado getting a run-rule victory 11-1 in game two, the third game was ensured to be a very intense.

Coronado would send senior right-hander Trey Stephens to the mound, this would be Stephens first start since coming of an ankle-injury. On the bump for Eastlake would be sophomore right-hander Robert Bonilla. Early location troubles for Bonilla in the second would result in a bases-loaded situation, that eventually led to Coronado pushing across their first run of the ball game via passed ball (1-0). In the third, senior SS Zack Swindell (Midland JC signee) would lead things off with a single into left-field, Swindell who would later score on an RBI single from DH Luke Pfeiffer (2-0). Coronado would push across one more in the fourth, after a triple from 1B Landry Watson, Watson who would later score via passed ball (3-0).

In the top half of the fifth, Eastlake would tie the game at three after a clutch two-run RBI double from junior 3B Bernie Valdez. Eastlake would push across one more in fifth coming from a passed ball to give them a 5-4 lead heading into the later innings.

It wouldn’t take long for Coronado to answer with a run in the bottom half of the sixth, on an RBI double from Swindell to tie the game at four apiece. Both teams would fail to plate any runs across in the seventh and would send the game into extras. The four-hour affair would come to an end in the bottom half of the ninth, with the bases loaded, two outs and a pulled in infield junior RF Bo Jacob Garza would walk it off with a base hit down the right-field line to give Coronado the 5-4 win and advance them to the Regional Quarter Finals against Lubbock Monterey.

Final Score: Coronado 5, EP Eastlake 4.

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SCOUT NOTES

Karson Kite, LHP, Amarillo, 2019
Weatherford commit. 6-foot-8, 210-pound left-handed pitcher, lanky, athletic build, long limbs, projectable frame, has yet to fill of physically. Clean, athletic, easy arm action, high ¾ arm slot, long and loose. Smooth, slow, repeatable delivery that he repeats well for his size. Fastball sat 81-83 through the entire outing, likely to add more velocity has he fills into his frame. Curveball showed gradual break, 10-4 shape at 70-72. Had some location troubles in the early innings but was able to settle in going six innings pitched, four scoreless, four punchouts, and only allowing three hits.