Burnet baseball beats Jarrell to win series
CAPTION: Timely hitting has been a big theme for Colt Stanford and the Bulldogs. Photo by Stennis Shotts
The Burnet High School baseball team defeated Jarrell 8-5 March 26 to win its first series in District 24-4A.
Burnet head coach Russell Houston noted the Cougars and the Bulldogs were in a close game the first time the two met March 5.
“It was a 2-0 game in the fifth inning,” he said, until Burnet scored 9 runs to win 11-1.
In the rematch the Bulldogs (16-2, 6-0) had to figure out a different path to victory.
“We left runners on early,” Houston said. “They got into a rhythm and scored two in the first. We settled in. I was really pleased with the kids finding different ways to win. I think it’s important to have different things on your toolbelt.”
Burnet scored a run in the first. Noah Crawford led off with a double and Will Johnson moved him to third. Trey Morrow hit an RBI single to left field.
After forcing the Cougars to go 3 up, 3 down, the Bulldogs added 4 runs in the second inning. Colt Stanford led off with double, while Gilbert Valdez drew a walk and Trenton Park bunted for an infield single to load the bases. Then Morrow got another hit for more runs. Dash Denton drew a walk and Matthew Valdez hit a sacrifice flyball for another score.
And just like that, Burnet led 5-2 going into the third inning to keep an important trend going.
“We answered pretty quickly,” the coach said. “It’s always good to see different situations and find different ways to win so you know there’s lots of different ways to win.”
The Bulldogs scored two more in the third and a run in the fifth.
Pitcher Kade Shaw (3-0) went the distance.
“As a senior, he’s been through a lot,” Houston said. “He’s pitched in a lot of games. He’s gotten to a point to know when he needs to get outs. The ability for him to make quick and good pitches in any situation is impressive. He doesn’t get frustrated or rattled.”
Burnet finishes the series at Jarrell at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 28.
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