TATUM BACK TO REGIONAL SEMIS | “Cargo” gets grand slam, Anthony a complete game in win over WR; Eagles advance, await opponent
The Tatum Eagles and West Rusk Raiders are both talented baseball teams – both from the same district.
In the end, though, Tatum’s will won out on Friday night, as the Eagles punched their ticket back to the University Interscholastic League’s fourth round for a second straight year.
Tatum came into game two with the series advantage – West Rusk would have to win to extend the series, but couldn’t. West Rusk came back from an early deficit to tie the game at 2-2, but Tatum edged back in front on an RBI single by Kohen Kiefer, then blew the game open on a grand slam by senior Carson “Cargo” Gonzalez, who also had an RBI double.
The Eagles wound up with a 7-4 win, and are back in the UIL Class 3A regional semifinals, right where they were a season ago.
Now, will their opponent from a year ago – Gunter – be able to get there, too?
(Photo by RONNIE SARTORS – SPORT SHOT PHOTOGRAPHY / ETBLITZ.COM)
At this writing, Gunter, an unbeaten 33-0, was battling Edgewood in their own game two. Gunter leads the series, so a win over Edgewood on Friday night means a rematch from last year. Gunter was able to beat Tatum last year, but fell short of reaching the state tournament.
Tatum (22-9) is looking strong, though, very solid, and West Rusk would likely agree. The Raiders are a talented bunch, too, and their season just ended with an 18-14-1 overall record.
West Rusk battled, though. Hard, both on Wednesday night in game one (GONZALEZ, WHITEUS HAVE BIG NIGHT | Tatum gets past West Rusk in game one; series continues Friday (etblitz.com)) and on Friday.
In the bottom of the first, with an out, Tatum’s Cooper Whiteus went to second on a sac bunt by Gonzalez, then scored on an RBI double by Grant Adcock, putting Tatum on the board, 1-0. Whiteus would go on to have a good night.
Dustin Henigan fouled off the first pitch, then the second. The .375 hitter takes a called strike three, though, for the second out for West Rusk pitcher Kullin Tavarez and the Raiders.
That brought up Cayden Tatum, as Aidan Courtney came on to run for Adcock. Courtney stole third, but Tatum couldn’t get the ball out of the infield this time. Still, the Eagles took a 1-0 lead as the first inning came to a close.
Tavarez, the pitcher, stepped to the plate to lead off the top of the second. Ashby Anthony got out of the first inning with only eight pitches thrown. The Eagles got the Raiders to go 1-2-3 – Tavarez, Ty Harper and then Xander Mason all flied out – in the top of the second to keep the Eagles up by the one run.
Brody Downs had an even 2-2 count before Tavarez just missed, and the count went full. Downs missed, and Tavarez got his second strikeout of the night.
That brought Tavarez’s counterpart, pitcher Anthony, to the plate. He took a high strike on the outside corner, then a ball that was also high and a bit inside. Anthony would go on to strike out, and Kody Hines, who had a good night in game one, a .323 hitter, managed an infield single.
Kohen Kiefer, who had one of the best throws you’ll ever see from a high school left fielder to help Adcock make a tag at home in game one, went down in the count, 1-2, but he didn’t get to finish the at-bat – Tavarez threw a ball to the plate. Mason snagged it and threw Hines out trying to steal. That finished the top of the second and held the Eagles’ lead at 1-0.
West Rusk’s lead-off batter, Luis Sanchez, was hit by a pitch, bringing Nix to the plate.
Sanchez was getting quite a lead-off from first. Nix walks, too, and Braylon Porter came to the batter’s box with two on and no out. He laid down a bunt. Anthony bobbled it a bit, but still managed to take the easy out at first – the runners advanced, to second and third, and now with an out.
That brought Jase Reasoner and the top of the lineup back to the plate. Anthony strikes out Reasoner, and Garrett Sipes takes an inside pitch that he dodges, but it’s a called strike, and then moments later, a called strike three.
Off to the third inning with the Eagles up, somewhat perilously, 1-0.
Kiefer got to come back to the plate since Hines was thrown out earlier trying to steal, hit a pop up to shallow center and was retired. Whiteus smackedthe ball to left and legged out a one-out double. Gonzalez did what leaders do and found his pitch, hitting it up the middle for an RBI double – Whiteus never slows up, coming around third like a bullet to score (2-0 Tatum).
Adcock gets hit, in the head, but appeared to be OK and took a jog to first. Two on, just one out, as Courtney came back on as a courtesy runner and Henigan strode to the plate.
Henigan pops up to Sanchez, though, at first base for a quick out, and with two outs, Cayden Tatum hits to Sipes at second base, who relay throws over to Sanchez for out three.
The Eagles doubled their lead to 2-0, going into the top of the fourth.
The Raiders’ Cole Jackson had a single in the top of the first, and then walked in the fourth. Tavarez steps back as he saw a wild pitch, and Jackson scooted to second for a steal.
Tavarez got an RBI single, bringing Jackson around third like a locomotive to cut Tatum’s lead in half (2-1). Dawson King was brought on to run for Tavarez, the pitcher, as Harper went to the plate with no outs.
Harper got a hit, as well, and there were no outs for Mason, with runners at second (King) and first (Harper).
With a 1-1 count, Mason called time, then showed bunt, pulled back and a ball was called.
Mason did eventually bunt and was thrown out, but advances them both.
Sanchez hit the ball into right, and Cole Watson held the runner, King, at third – no sac fly run gets plated, and with two outs, it’s Nix at the plate.
Nix hit a ball right at Downs – but the ball is hard-hit, not too close to first, and he was forced to knock it down. King came around to score in the meantime, and tied the game at 2.
Porter comes to bat with two outs and Harper at third, but it’s a fly out, and going to the bottom of the fourth, the game was tied at 4.
But that’s when things changed.
Downs got the Eagles’ half of the fourth started with a walk. Anthony laid down a bunt and advanced Downs to second. Hines put a ball in the gap between first and second, and with an out, the Eagles placed runners at the corners with Kiefer, playing third base in this game, at the plate.
He fouled off the first pitch, watched a high one for ball one, then it eased up to 3-1. A called strike on the outside ran Kiefer to a full count, and after fouling one off, Tavarez checked Hines at first base.
He turned his attention back to Kiefer. He fouled off another, then found a gap between third and short and got an RBI single to score Downs (3-2 Tatum). That would be the go-ahead run.
Whiteus, who scored two of the Eagles’ three runs at this point, sees a 3-0 count, and then ball four. The bases get loaded for the senior, Gonzalez – who hit a freaking grand slam. It’s A GRAND SLAM to put the Eagles up 7-2.
It was a pitching change for the Raiders after that, as Mason came to the mound (Reasoner takes his place as the West Rusk catcher), and Adcock to the plate. Adcock drew a walk, as the West Rusk troubles continued, down five with only one out. Courtney again came on to run for Adcock.
Courtney swiped second. Sanchez made the catch of a pop-up by Henigan, and Mason struck out Cayden Tatum to finally end the inning.
West Rusk had tied the game in their last at-bat, and had some major ground to make up – five runs – beginning with the top of the fifth.
Tatum wasn’t super-down with allowing that to happen, though. Downs stretched to make a catch from Kiefer to retire Reasoner for out one. Sipes, coming to the plate with his chopping-wood, hard-working mentality, can’t get a hit, though, and is out.
Jackson hit a ball to Whiteus at shortstop, but Whiteus can’t get it to Downs at first base in time. It was a single for Jackson, a two-out single.
But Tavarez hit the next ball right to Kiefer, a drive, and that was out three. The Eagles led, 7-2, going to the bottom of the fifth.
Tatum coach Dustin Russell shaking things up a bit, sent Jaxen Prince to bat for Downs in the bottom of the fifth, with Mason still on the mound. He popped up and out, but then Anthony draws a walk.
Hines to the plate, then, and Anthony heads to second on a passed ball. With one out and Anthony on, Hines took Mason to a full count, then walked. Kiefer put a ball into right field for a bases-loaded single.
Whiteus came up with three teammates on the base path, fouled off the first pitch, then hit to Jackson at short. He caught it and stepped on second for the force, the double play, to end the inning without the Eagles getting another run.
Anthony remained on the mound for Tatum as Harper came up to lead off the sixth, West Rusk still down 7-2. Harper singled up the middle, and Mason followed with another. Sanchez got to come to the plate with two on and no outs.
Harper stole third, then Mason, second. Harper came home on a sac fly by Sanchez (7-3) and Mason was left at third. Nix hit another sac fly and Mason scored (7-4), and although Porter, the following batter, gets retired by Whiteus and Downs, 6-3, the Raiders plated two runs and got a bit closer, even though their time was running out.
Mason struck out Gonzalez to start the bottom of the sixth, then Adcock. Henigan followed with his first hit of the night, a single. Cayden Tatum flies out to Harper, though, in center field to end the inning.
The Raiders needed three in the top of the seventh to extend the game and their season – unfortunately for West Rusk and their fans, they wouldn’t get it
Anthony, still strong after six innings, goes strong into the seventh. They retire Reasoner, but Sipes got a base hit, keeping the Raiders’ hopes alive.
Jackson flied out to Cole Watson in right, for out two, and then Tavarez flied out to Tatum in left field. The Eagles celebrated the catch with reserve and class, and it’s on to round four.
Here were the rosters for the two teams for this playoff series.
TATUM EAGLES
1 Carson Gonzalez
2 Grant Adcock
3 Logan Cansler
4 Cole Watson
5 Kohen Kiefer
6 Jacob Dygert
7 Jaxen Prince
8 Dustin Henigan
9 Aldo Espinoza
10 Lannon Smith
11 Ashby Anthony
12 Tristen Berry
14 Landon Brittain
16 Cayden Tatum
17 Brody Downs
20 Tucker Anthony
21 Cooper Whiteus
22 Kody Hines
25 Aidan Courtney
Coach: Dustin Russell
+++++
WEST RUSK RAIDERS
1 Jayden Nardozza
2 Jase Reasoner
3 Dawson King
4 Jake Neal
5 Luis Sanchez
6 Cole Jackson
7 Kullin Tavarez
8 Ty Harper
10 Garrett Sipes
11 Xander Mason
13 Darren Nix
16 Beau Mason
21 Hunter McCandless
30 Braylen Porter
Coach: Tyler Wilbanks