Brock sweeps Tigers out of postseason

WEATHERFORD – Starting five freshmen for most of the campaign, many observers didn’t see the Tiger baseball team making it to the playoffs.

Granted, Jacksboro needed some assistance in nabbing the fourth spot out of District 7-3A. The squad showed its youth in the bi-district series with a senior-laden Brock team, which won District 8-3A.

The Tigers had a combined nine errors in the two games which aided the Eagle cause in a doubleheader sweep, 14-2 in five innings and 11-2, at Weatherford College’s Roger Williams Ballpark Friday.

Brief summaries of both games follow:

Game 1

Brock scored in every inning behind a 13-hit attack to take the opener.

The Tigers had their opportunities in the first inning. A two-out rally began with Christian Wiggins reaching on an error and back-to-back singles from Jackson McComis and Lando Belcher to load the sacks.

It wasn’t to be as Belcher was forced out at second to keep Brock up 3-0 after one.The Eagles went up 9-0 in the fourth when the Tigers got on the board.

McComis and Belcher opened the inning with their second singles of the game. With one gone, Cody Frie singled to fill the pond. Aaron Harmonson brought home McComis by being hit by a pitch but the next batter grounded into a 5-2-3 double play, forcing Belcher out at home to prevent further damage.

A five-run fifth put the Tigers on the brink of elimination but the Tigers didn’t go down without a fight. Josh Pierce opened with a single. With two gone, McComis reached following a wild pitch on a third strike.

Belcher’s third base hit of the contest filled the sacks with Baylor Laake’s single plating Pierce. The rally then ended with a strikeout to end the 1:56 contest.

Game 2

The Tigers led in the top of the first but Brock scored five in the first two innings to take control early.

Unlike the first game where the Tigers picked up eight hits, Jacksboro had just three hits in the nightcap. Kaleem Howard led off the 2:28 affair with a walk.

A balk, wild pitch and RBI groundout by Peyton Kinman put Jacksboro on the board. Wigins then singled and reached second on a wild pitch before the next two hitters struck out.

Down 5-1, the Tigers picked up another run in the third. Howard reached on another wild pitch third strike to get aboard with one gone. Kinman drew a walk with Howard being forced at home in place of Wiggins.

McComis singled home Kinman to cut the deficit to three but a popout to third prevented further damage. The Tigers drew several walks though, to Frie in the fourth along with Howard and McComis in the fifth but to no avail.