Tuesday, April 30, 2024
Gatesville baseball followed a solid showing in the Franklin Tournament with a 9-0 rout of Palestine on March 12 to capture their tenth win of the season and continue the best start to a season in the Chase Smith era.
The win over Palestine ran Gatesville’s record to 10-5-1, the best sixteen-game start in Smith’s four seasons as head coach. Last season, the Hornets were 10-6 through 16 games.
The win over the Wildcats saw Clayton Gregory and John Ibarra combine for a three-hit shutout while the Hornets offense banged out 10 hits and scored all nine runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Jastin Muegge led the offense with three hits and three RBI, while Logan Biggs had two hits.
In Franklin, Gatesville blanked Cameron 1-0, beat Smithville 3-2, and topped Lorena 8-3. Their only loss was a 3-0 setback against Waxahachie Life.
Ace Bralen Veazey allowed just one-hit in his shutout of Cameron in the tournament opener. He struck out seven Yoemen and also drove in the only run of the game when his first-inning single scored Biggs. Veazey, Lawson Mooney, and Justin Johnson each had two hits in the win.
Bradey James scattered three hits and allowed one earned run in to get the win over Smithville. Ibarra threw two innings of one-hit ball to pick up the save. The Hornets trailed 1-0 before scoring all three of their runs in the top of the fourth inning.
Ibarra drew a two-out walk to load the bases. Then Biggs laced a single to left field to score Veazey and Miles Tull and give Gatesville a 2-1 lead. Ibarra scored on a wild pitch to make it 3-1. Biggs had a pair of hits in the game, while James had the only other hit.
In the loss to Waxahachie Life, the Hornets managed just four hits and drew one walk but stayed in the game thanks to the pitching of Tull, who allowed just two earned runs in his 5.1 innings of work.
The Hornets had a stretch of 12 innings of scoreless baseball that began in the fifth inning of the Smithville win and didn’t end until the fourth inning of the win over Lorena.
“It was a little frustrating all weekend for us at the plate. We had some opportunities in a couple games but couldn’t get the timely hits. The guys are starting to believe in pitching and defense and its ability to keep us in and give us a chance to win every game. Our guys were bound to bust out and they finally have put some runs on the board for us the past couple games,” said Smith.
Gehrig Keeton took the mound for the Hornets against Lorena and threw a five-hit, one-earned run, complete-game to get the win. The Leopards scored all three of their runs in the bottom of the third and led 3-0 until the Gatesville offense came alive in the top of the fourth.
Johnson opened the inning with a double to left field and scored when Muegge ripped a single to left field to cut the deficit to 3-1.
In the top of the sixth inning, the Hornets scored five times to put the game away. After Collyn Coleman scored on a wild pitch to cut the Lorena lead to 3-2, Biggs flared a two-run single to centerfield and scored Muegge and Johnson to take a 4-3 lead.
Biggs and Tull scored later in the inning when Mooney reached on an error and gave the Hornets a 6-4 lead. Gatesville tacked on two more runs in the top of the seventh before Keeton slammed the door with a pair of strikeouts to end the game.
Johnson went 4-4 in the win over the Leopards, continuing his solid senior season. Johnson is hitting .340 so far this season and has seen time at second base, shortstop, and all three outfield positions. He has also made four relief pitching appearances.
“He does fly under the radar but he has been one of the most consistent guys for us the past couple of seasons. He is a great teammate and a team first guy. He is also one of the best on the bases. He does a great job with dirt ball reads and is so good at taking the extra base when he gets the chance,” Smith said of Johnson. “He’s definitely has been a spark for us offensively lately and has quietly been really good defensively and on the mound. Really proud of him and all the hard work he has put in.”
In the win over Palestine, seven different players had a hit and Veazey walked three times.
Muegge started the scoring with a two-run single in the bottom of the fourth inning to give Gatesville a 2-0 lead. A Biggs single scored Keeton to make it 3-0 then Tull drove home Muegge for a 4-0 lead.
After Mooney drove in Biggs with a single, Veazey drew a bases loaded walk to give Gatesville a 6-0 lead. Johnson followed with a walk of his own that scored Cayden Brister to make it 7-0. Muegge drove in the final run of the inning with another RBI single to make it 9-0.
Gregory – who missed the Franklin tournament due to illness – gave up just two hits in three innings in his return. Ibarra threw 3.2 innings and allowed just one hit.
In their last five games, the Hornet pitching staff has allowed only five earned runs. With two weeks remaining until the start of district, Smith noted that his team needs to continue to improve in all areas but that their offense – at the plate and on the bases – will need to be sharper if the Hornets want to contend for a district championship.
“We have got to play clean defense and not run into outs on the bases. We have made some silly mistakes on the bases that have killed our momentum at times and we can’t do that against the teams we play in our district. At the plate we have got to be better situational hitters and move up and score runners when we get in big situations, because I have a feeling like a lot of our games already it will come down to a run or two and who doesn’t make that costly mistake that will be the difference maker in those big district games,” he said.
Gatesville visited Taylor on March 15 and then travels to Temple on March 16. They will travel to Brownwood to face their old 6-4A foes on March 19 then host 3A No. 9 Franklin on March 23. They will open district play at Robinson on March 25.
