Burnet baseball loses to China Spring in opener

CAPTION: Will Johnson had 2 hits during the loss to China Spring in game one of the best-of-three playoff series. Photo by Stennis Shotts

The Burnet High School baseball team lost to China Spring 9-2 in game one of the Class 4A Region III quarterfinals best-of-three series May 16.

Game two is slated for 5 p.m. Friday, May 17, in China Spring. Game three, if necessary, will follow 30 minutes after the second contest ends.

Burnet (30-5, 13-2 District 24-4A champion) head coach Russell Houston noted the glaring difference between the two squads.

“They got two-out hits and we didn’t,” he said. “That’s the game, that’s baseball.”

That was obvious in the second inning. The Cougars (29-5, 9-1 District 23-4A champions), who plated two unearned runs in the first inning, added four after two outs where they sent 10 batters to the plate. All four runs were earned thanks to four hits, one walk and one hit by a pitch. And though China Spring didn’t score again until the fourth inning, the Cougars remained in control of the outcome the rest of the way.

That’s because China Spring made all but two routine outs. Only one of the Bulldogs’ runs were earned, and Burnet stranded 11 runners during the contest. The Cougars, who had 4 earned runs, stranded eight and had 10 hits. The Bulldogs committed four errors to China Spring’s two.

“They’re the defending state champions,” Houston said. “They’re going to make every routine play. We have to be able to get two-out hits to be able to extend the inning.”

Cougar Greyson Brooks led his team with 2 RBI, while Cage McCloud, Garrett Maddox, J.C. Hughes, Jackson Fetters, Dean Hannah and Camden Todaro each had 1.

Two outs limits what batters can do, Houston added, because there’s no trading runs for outs.

“You can’t afford to give outs,” he said. “Their pitchers were efficient and effective. Having six runs makes his job easier.”

Burnet scored its first run in the fifth inning thanks to a throwing error on the second baseman that allowed Trenton Park, who drew a lead-off walk, to go home. Will Johnson scored in the seventh inning on a RBI single by Colt Stanford.

Watch videos on Highland Lakes sports by going to Fierro’s YouTube channel and searching for The Broad Podcaster. Please like, subscribe and share.