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NEW HOME — There's a couple of weeks until the playoffs begin, but Saturday's top-10 showdown at Zant Field mirrored a contest late in the postseason.
No. 10 New Home downed No. 5 Ropes 3-1 in the opener of a two-game set that concludes Tuesday in Ropesville. Both coaches expressed their appreciation for the tough test with the regular season winding down, and thanks to the UIL's split-division format, Tuesday could be the last time the regional contenders meet.
Graham Stanford has been New Home's go-to pitcher, so it was natural he got the start in Saturday's first-place battle in District 4-2A. The senior righty welcomed the high-pressure situation and settled in after a bumpy start.
Four batters in, Ropes led 1-0. Stanford allowed four hits the rest of the way in a complete game. The Eagles didn't get a runner in scoring position again until the sixth inning.
Leopard coach Brady Webb said his No. 1 starter pounded the zone and relied on his defense, as is Stanford's typical formula. He notched five strikeouts and one walk.
"He doesn't give a lot of free bases," Webb said. "He knows we're good defensively, and he tries to pitch to weak contact and find a way to let the defense work. He's done a great job of that all year."
Stanford induced nine fly outs, none more impressive than Avin Madrid's grab in the fourth. The center fielder slipped charging in, recovered and made the catch falling down.
"It's really good whenever he's falling down on the ground and getting up and making a play," Stanford said. "It just gives you a lot of confidence as a pitcher."
Bode Franklin was solid on the mound, but errors hurt the Eagles. The lefty allowed one earned run on five hits and four walks over five innings.
It was Ropes' first loss since March 6. Or, as Eagles coach Blake Jackson put it, it was the team's first chance to learn about itself in more than a month. Specifically, Jackson said players learned resilience from bouncing back after earlier errors and didn't give up — ending the game with a runner on third.
"I think it's a good ramp-up for the playoffs," Jackson said. "It was a high-intensity game. It wasn't a very long game because both teams are making plays, both pitchers are commanding the strike zone, and that's what baseball should be: a tight battle.
"I think you learn more from a 3-1 loss than you do a 26-0 win, and I think that we learned a lot about our team from this game today."
Webb, too, appreciated the tough test before the postseason. New Home had won nine of its 10 district contests by the 10-run mercy rule entering Saturday.
"It's a really good, high-intensity, pressure-filled atmosphere when we play each other," Webb said. "It's a good, playoff-type atmosphere, and it's good for both of us to be involved in it — the good and the bad. … It's nice when it happens closer to the end of the year. We're both gonna be in the playoffs, both probably have a shot to make a good run."
Jackson said both teams were regional-final quality. Last year, that would've meant an all-district showdown with a state-tournament berth on the line. The way playoff teams are now split, New Home and Ropes could be headed to opposite brackets.
There's still plenty to be determined, however. There are four teams still alive for the two playoff spots behind the Leopards and Eagles. New Home is locked into Division I, and it's likely Ropes will go Division II. That would mean Tuesday's matchup would be their last.
"If things work the way they should, they're gonna be big-school and we'll be small-school," Jackson said. "Which is nice that we wouldn't have to see them in the playoffs, and I'm sure Coach Webb probably agrees, because we talk about it all the time."
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: New Home beats Ropes in District 4-2A baseball first-place game
Continue reading...
No. 10 New Home downed No. 5 Ropes 3-1 in the opener of a two-game set that concludes Tuesday in Ropesville. Both coaches expressed their appreciation for the tough test with the regular season winding down, and thanks to the UIL's split-division format, Tuesday could be the last time the regional contenders meet.
Graham Stanford, New Home's defense stymie Ropes
Graham Stanford has been New Home's go-to pitcher, so it was natural he got the start in Saturday's first-place battle in District 4-2A. The senior righty welcomed the high-pressure situation and settled in after a bumpy start.
Four batters in, Ropes led 1-0. Stanford allowed four hits the rest of the way in a complete game. The Eagles didn't get a runner in scoring position again until the sixth inning.
Leopard coach Brady Webb said his No. 1 starter pounded the zone and relied on his defense, as is Stanford's typical formula. He notched five strikeouts and one walk.
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"He doesn't give a lot of free bases," Webb said. "He knows we're good defensively, and he tries to pitch to weak contact and find a way to let the defense work. He's done a great job of that all year."
Stanford induced nine fly outs, none more impressive than Avin Madrid's grab in the fourth. The center fielder slipped charging in, recovered and made the catch falling down.
"It's really good whenever he's falling down on the ground and getting up and making a play," Stanford said. "It just gives you a lot of confidence as a pitcher."
Ropes takes lessons from rare loss
Bode Franklin was solid on the mound, but errors hurt the Eagles. The lefty allowed one earned run on five hits and four walks over five innings.
It was Ropes' first loss since March 6. Or, as Eagles coach Blake Jackson put it, it was the team's first chance to learn about itself in more than a month. Specifically, Jackson said players learned resilience from bouncing back after earlier errors and didn't give up — ending the game with a runner on third.
"I think it's a good ramp-up for the playoffs," Jackson said. "It was a high-intensity game. It wasn't a very long game because both teams are making plays, both pitchers are commanding the strike zone, and that's what baseball should be: a tight battle.
"I think you learn more from a 3-1 loss than you do a 26-0 win, and I think that we learned a lot about our team from this game today."
New Home, Ropes could be in different playoff brackets
Webb, too, appreciated the tough test before the postseason. New Home had won nine of its 10 district contests by the 10-run mercy rule entering Saturday.
"It's a really good, high-intensity, pressure-filled atmosphere when we play each other," Webb said. "It's a good, playoff-type atmosphere, and it's good for both of us to be involved in it — the good and the bad. … It's nice when it happens closer to the end of the year. We're both gonna be in the playoffs, both probably have a shot to make a good run."
Jackson said both teams were regional-final quality. Last year, that would've meant an all-district showdown with a state-tournament berth on the line. The way playoff teams are now split, New Home and Ropes could be headed to opposite brackets.
There's still plenty to be determined, however. There are four teams still alive for the two playoff spots behind the Leopards and Eagles. New Home is locked into Division I, and it's likely Ropes will go Division II. That would mean Tuesday's matchup would be their last.
"If things work the way they should, they're gonna be big-school and we'll be small-school," Jackson said. "Which is nice that we wouldn't have to see them in the playoffs, and I'm sure Coach Webb probably agrees, because we talk about it all the time."
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: New Home beats Ropes in District 4-2A baseball first-place game
Continue reading...
