Untimely error allows the Broncos to beat the Bulldogs

In just about every statistic, the Burnet High School baseball team beat Lake Belton April 26. But the only statistic the Bulldogs didn’t win were the number of runs where the District 19-4A champion Broncos (12-2) scored two unearned in the second and then hung on for a 2-0 victory.

“We played really well,” Burnet head coach Russell Houston said. “It was good to see we can play with those guys and keep it close. It was frustrating we didn’t execute when we had the opportunities. We need to do the little things better to be a great team.”

The Bulldogs (10-12-1, 7-7) had a chance to flip the outcome. The Bulldogs had bases loaded with no outs but suffered three consecutive strikeouts, including the fourth batter who was unable to lay down a bunt to bring the runner home on a squeeze.

“Definitely the hardest thing to do in sports is to hit a round ball with a round bat,” Houston said. “But if we get the ball in play, you’re scoring one run, maybe two. It’s just the ability to get the ball in play. And it’s not that they weren’t trying to do that, we just weren’t doing it.”

Burnet had seven hits to Lake Belton’s three. Each team committed an error.

“They had 1 two-out hit with runners on second and third,” Houston said. “We had one error, and it was in that inning.”

Broncos pitcher Cameron Bartz struck out seven en route to picking up the win, while Bulldogs pitcher Kurt Kassner, who struck out four, was credited with the loss.

“Kurt pitched really well,” the coach said. “He pitched four innings. He did everything I asked him to do.”

The Bulldogs, who will finish third in the district standings, await the District 20-4A runner-up. Since Giddings beat Smithville 18-6 April 26, it looks like La Grange will finish second. But there’s still one game remaining in the regular season.

Burnet finishes its regular season against Lake Belton at 4:30 p.m. Friday, April 29, at Bulldog Diamonds, 1000 The Green Mile. Lake Belton’s top pitcher is lefty Logan Flores, who hasn’t pitched this week.

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