After two walks to start the top of the seventh inning by the Cardinals, senior pitcher Johny Ring’s no-hit shutout was being threatened. The threat quickly vanished with two straight strikeouts to end the frame and secure a triumphant series sweep of Del Valle.
“I was just up there and I was just thinking, it’s a game, and you got to run regardless of who you are playing,” Ring said. “You just gotta go out there and do your best and that’s all that matters.”
The Chaps (14-18, 7-3 District 26-6A) swiftly defeated Del Valle (5-18, 0-10 District 26-6A), 10-1, Friday night at Woerner Field. Across the three senior pitchers to play in the matchup on senior night, the Cardinals only snuck three hits past the Chaps.
“Just preparation [allows pitchers to go out and dominate],” pitching coach Ashley Dukes said. “Believing our mindset, dominating the zone, winning 0-0 counts and 1-1 counts and just attacking hitters.”
A scoreless first inning by senior pitcher Hayes Brodhead and a two-run bottom of the first gave the Chaps a lead as they switched pitchers.
The Chaps provided run support for their pitchers the entire series. The Chaps knocked in three runs in the first game and 10 in the second, which provided a +11 run differential for the series, 22 runs better than what they had produced in the previous two weeks.
It marked a departure from the first portion of the home-and-home against the Cards in which the Chaps only squeezed across three runs.
“I think today we were way more aggressive at the plate,” senior infielder Lance Hayashi said. “Earlier in the count we were taking hacks and also, I think we took advantage of putting the ball on the ground and making the defense make plays.”
The scoring in the second game of the series came early and fast. After two runs by sophomore designated hitter Owen Strain and senior first baseman T Collard opened the game, the Chaps never looked back. They added four more runs in the second inning and three in the fourth inning. Hayashi was one of three players to knock in two RBIs on the scorecard and did so by two singles, one in the fourth and one in the sixth.
“I thought this could be the last chance I get to play the game I’ve played forever,” Hayashi said. “I just want to go up there and have fun.”
Senior pitcher Gunner Dunlop was the next man in the rotation for the Chaps, but quickly encountered trouble on the basepaths. He opened with two walks, following that up with two outs to nearly finish the inning. However, a single to the nine hitter to load the bases and a hit by pitch then walked in a run. After a ground out ended the inning, Dunlop didn’t let another run cross the plate the entire evening.
As the Chaps went to bullpen arms in Friday’s game, the relief pitchers had to make sure they were ready just in case they were called on.
“You just got to get hot as fast as you can, and go out there and do your job.” Ring said. “If there’s a runner on, you gotta throw strikes and you gotta get guys out. So you just have to be ready at all times.”
The Chaps dominated the bump the entire series, racking up 15 strikeouts across the two games and only allowing seven hits. All the men who went to pitch for the Chaps on senior night Friday evening were seniors and showed their experience the best of the possibilities.
“All our seniors have been awesome this year and then obviously the growth from last year to this year has been awesome,” Dukes said. “They’ve matured, they’ve kind of bought into the system that we have in place.”
The Chaps next take on Dripping Springs Wednesday night at Woerner Field at 7:30. They are now out of the running for another district title but can prevent the Tigers from earning one with at least one win in the upcoming series.
