Burnet baseball beats Georgetown Gateway to win the series

The Burnet High School baseball team defeated Georgetown Gateway 6-4 April 14 to remain a game behind Marble Falls in the District 24-4A standings.

Much of that will be decided in the next two games when the Bulldogs (8-3) visit the Mustangs (9-2) at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 18, at Scearce Field and then welcome them to Bulldog Diamonds Friday, April 21, in a contest with a time change. First pitch will be at 8 p.m. to accommodate officials.

Burnet, which already beat Marble Falls in the first round, only needs to win one more to win the series. Marble Falls must win the next two. And though much will be decided, both Burnet County teams still have two games left in the regular season. The Mustangs play Jarrell, while the Bulldogs face Lago Vista beginning April 25.

“What we talk about is the next game is the biggest game,” Burnet head coach Russell Houston said. “We treat every game as the biggest and most important. It’s something you already have. It’s all about the mindset and the mentality of the kids. You want to put them in pressure situations, so the moment isn’t so big.”

Against Gateway, the Bulldogs faced a deficit after the Gators scored two in the first inning and two in the second inning.

“We were down early, which has been our typical (pattern),” Houston said. “We scored three in the third and took the lead in the fifth.”

Those hits came from Gilbert Valdez, Will Johnson and Tanner O’Hair, who went 2 for 3 at the plate and recorded 3 RBIs.

“Gibby hit a double down the line,” Houston said. “It was a big two-out hit. It seemed to snowball for a little bit.”

Junior pitcher Dash Denton was credited with the win and was on the hill for all seven innings.

“He throws a bunch of strikes, he competes on the mound,” the coach said. “He gives our defense a chance to play behind him. Hits are OK. It’s the walks before the hits that make it bad. If we give up hits here and there, it tends to be less damaging. If you don’t give up walks or have mistakes, it’s hard for the other team to score runs.”

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