Lewisville Flower Mound advances to Texas (UIL) 6A baseball state title behind four-run first inning
By Buck Ringgold | Photos by Andrew McCulloch
ROUND ROCK, Texas - Lewisville Flower Mound’s first four batters all reached base to start Friday’s Class 6A semifinal matchup against Cypress Woods.
All four came around to score as the Jaguars quickly got out of the box with a 4-0 lead. It was plenty beneficial for Flower Mound pitcher Zack James, a late addition to start, who ended up throwing a complete game while holding off a late charge from the Wildcats as the Jaguars prevailed, 6-3, at the Dell Diamond.
“It was huge,” Flower Mound coach Danny Wallace said. “To have Zack go into the bottom of the first up four, that made the ballgame a lot different. We had momentum pretty much the whole way.”
Flower Mound (36-10-2) will advance to Saturday afternoon’s 6A title game against the winner of the other semifinal between Pearland and Austin Westlake, which was played later on Friday.
“We’ve just got to keep our starters fresh and play good defense,” Wallace said. “Pitching’s been good for us all year.
“I’m very excited and very honored. I’ve got a great group of guys.”
The Jaguars began their Friday semifinal when Sam Erickson drew a walk. Ryder McDaniel then laid down a bunt, but the throw to get him went into right field, putting two runners on.
Josh Glaser stepped up to the plate and hit a ball which ricocheted off Cy Woods’ third baseman for an infield single, scoring Erickson. Then the cleanup hitter, Zane Becker, hit a fielder’s choice grounder, but the Wildcats made another error on a throw to second, with McDaniel scoring to make it 2-0.
Glaser and Tell Moter - running for Becker - then scored on two fielder’s choice plays, extending the Jags’ lead to 4-0.
Flower Mound then made it 5-0 in the top of the fifth on a two-out RBI single from Cole Ridenour, scoring Moter.
Cy Woods (38-5) started to make things interesting in its half of the fifth, pushing across three runs. The uprising began with back-to-back doubles from Michael Minchich and Sam Myers, the latter bringing in the Wildcats’ initial run.
The Wildcats later got a sacrifice fly from Tristan Russell and a two-out RBI single from McClane Helton to get within two runs. But James got a ground ball to end the threat, and proceeded to throw a scoreless bottom of the sixth.
James got an additional bit of insurance in the top of the seventh. Glaser worked a one-out walk, with Kyle Conne coming in to pinch-run.
Conne immediately stole second base. With two outs, he came around to score on Adrian Rodriguez’s single into right center.
James got the complete game by retiring the side in order in the bottom of the seventh. He gave up three earned runs on eight hits, while walking two and striking out a pair.
A junior and TCU commit, James wasn’t originally slated to start Friday’s game. However, Flower Mound’s original starter, Jacob Gholston, got injured during pregame warmups, forcing Wallace to use James on Friday instead of being the likely starter in Saturday’s title game.
“Words can’t describe the way he was pitching out there,” Wallace said. “He’s been doing that for us in the playoffs and all year. … I can’t describe it, he did fantastic.”
Flower Mound got six hits, with only one coming in its four-run top of the first. Rodriguez went 2-for-4, the only Jaguar with multiple hits.
Camdyn Wootan was 2-for-2 with a run scored, while Brady Sullivan was 2-for-4 with a run scored as well for Cy Woods.
The Wildcats did get a strong relief outing from Chase Morgan, who came on with one out in the first. He went the final 6 2/3 innings and allowed two runs - both earned - on five hits, striking out three.
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