Flames battle toughest road test to remain unbeaten in district
The Faith Academy of Marble Falls baseball team survived its best challenge to its undefeated district record.
The Flames (7-2, 5-0) outlasted Bryan St. Joseph 13-11 April 22 thanks to solid hitting and taking advantage of runners in scoring position.
“Winning is hard,” head coach Zakk Revelle said. “This is the first baseball district championship for Faith Academy ever. They took it head-on. It was the most complete team effort we’ve had all season.”
Every Flame had at least one hit, and Revelle noted every single one was needed to ensure a victory. Justin Mottle and Ian Smiles led the way with 3 RBIs each followed by one RBI from Dylan Offutt, Dylan Pipkin, Kolt Steele and Matthew Eppler.
“They had a great offensive day, but we had a little better one,” Revelle said. “Everyone in the lineup got a huge at-bat. It was a complete team effort all the way around.”
Meanwhile, the coach used three pitchers during the contest that included Steele, Pipkin and Mottle, who got the win.
“I didn’t want anyone but Mottle on the mound in the bottom of the seventh inning,” Revelle said. “He took care of business with two strikeouts and a groundout. Before that, he was the catcher and caught six innings.”
St. Joseph scored the majority of its runs in the fourth inning when it plated five.
“Our defense played really well,” Revelle said. “In the fifth inning, they hit the ball where we were not. There were no errors; they hit really well. We made routine plays and had no errors. Every time we needed three outs, we go do what we’re supposed to do.”
Winning these district championships was an important goal for the Flames, who wouldn’t be denied. They were the odds-on favorite to win district titles in football, boys basketball and boys track and field, but not many thought they’d win it in baseball. Wanting to win the first baseball district championship was a priority for the class of 2022, and Revelle was proud those athletes will leave the program with important benchmarks for others to follow.
“I can’t say enough about the seniors and what they’ve meant to Faith Academy and their legacy,” the coach said. “They’ve won district titles in football, boys basketball and track and now in baseball.”
Faith finishes the regular season at 2 p.m. Thursday, April 28, against San Marcos Hill Country at the YMCA of the Highland Lakes, 1601 S. Water St. in Burnet. The team will honor its seniors.
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