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Missed opportunities haunt Skeeters in series-opening loss to Temple
By DEVIN HASSON, dhasson@starlocalnews.com
The Mesquite players walked off Tillery Field on Thursday shaking their heads.
The Skeeters had certainly given themselves enough chances to win, but unlike most of the regular season, they were unable to come through.
Mesquite stranded 10 runners and a pair of errors aided two Temple rallies as the fourth-seeded Wildcats held on for a 3-2 victory over the 11-5A champions in the opener of a Class 5A bi-district best-of-3 series.
The Skeeters had runners reach base in six of the seven innings and stranded seven runners in scoring position, including leaving the bases loaded twice.
Trailing by one run going to the bottom of the seventh inning, Mesquite got one final chance when Alex Lopez reached on a fielder's choice and stole second, but as was the case all night, he was left standing there when the third out was recorded.
Temple (16-15) starter Ryan McNeill battled through some control problems and threw 120 pitches, but toughed it out until the end.
Mesquite's Daniel Ferra was the hard-luck loser in a game he could have won.
The tone was set from the start when the Wildcats pushed across a pair of runs. Jordan Garcia drew a leadoff walk and JoJo Garcia followed with a single.
Mason Hesse then dropped down a bunt, but an errant throw to first not only allowed him to reach safely, but Jordan Garcia came all the way around to score the game's first run. While JoJo Garcia was thrown out at third on the play, Seth Culp followed with a RBI double to right to make it 2-0.
The Wildcats scratched across another run in the top of the second. Josh Cruz reached on a bloop single, moved to second on an error, to third on an infield dribbler and then scored on a base hit by Hesse.
Mesquite got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the frame without the benefit of a hit as McNeill lost his control.
Ferra led off with a walk, and then after the next two hitters were retired, Trey Leblanc, Dakota Taylor and Josh Anderson drew consecutive free passes, the last of which forced in a run, as McNeill threw 10 consecutive balls at one point.
However, the Temple senior settled down and got Carlos Chavez to line a hot shot right to the second baseman to get out of the jam with a 3-1 lead.
It was a similar situation for the Skeeters in the bottom of the fourth. Leblanc led off with a single, Taylor walked and Anderson laid down a bunt single to load the bases with no outs.
Chavez followed with a RBI single to right to make it 3-2, but McNeill got a pop out and back-to-back strikeouts to preserve the lead.
Temple had at least one runner on base in the third through seventh innings, but Ferra was able to pitch around the trouble, including getting a pair of 6-4-3 double plays, to keep it a one-run game.
Mesquite went down in order for the only time of the game in the fifth, but had another chance in the sixth, as Taylor singled, moved to second on a sacrifice and to third on a fly out to right but was stranded there.
The script was the same in the seventh, as the Wildcats stole the opener and will return to Temple on Saturday with two chances to close out the series.
AREA ROUNDUP: Rowlett, Sachse win openers, North Mesquite, Horn fall
The opening day of the Class 5A baseball playoffs went according to play for Rowlett and Sachse, as each posted victories on Thursday.
North Mesquite and Horn were not as fortunate, as they suffered losses that pushed them to the brink of elimination.
The Eagles, the 10-5A champions, had no trouble with fourth-seeded Sunset with a 10-0 blanking at Rowlett High School.
Playoff veteran Brett Byrum looked the part, throwing a three-hit shutout. Jerad Wilson belted a home run, Conner Fikes tripled and Jerad Fowler added a pair of doubles to lead the offense.
Rowlett will try to close out the best-of-3 series on Friday when the two teams meet on Friday at 7 p.m. at Reverchon Park. Game three, if necessary, will be played on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Reverchon Park.
Sachse won a pitcher's duel with W.T. White, holding on for a 2-0 victory at Sachse High School. Kyle Weatherly did what he has done all season long, improving to 9-1 with a three-hit shutout.
Eric Williams doubled for the Mustangs, who did not do a lot of damage offensively, but managed to scratch across just enough.
Sachse will have a chance to close out the series on Friday at 5 p.m. at W.T. White. If the series goes to a third game, it will be played on Saturday at 11:30 a.m. at Naaman Forest.
North Mesquite and Horn both have big mountains to climb, as not only did each team lose, but they got blown out in their respective series openers.
The Stallions did not manage a single hit in an 11-0 loss on the road at Belton. North Mesquite will return home to the friendly confines of Copeland Field for game two on Saturday at 1 p.m. Game three, if necessary, will be played after.
Horn played 12-5A champion Bryan tight for half the game but could not keep up in a 10-1 loss in Bryan.
The teams were tied at 1-1 through three innings, but the Vikings exploded for nine runs during the next three frames to blow the game open.
Horn will try to even the series on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. at Tillery Field, with game three, if necessary, to follow.
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