After a 7-2 loss to Boerne High at home last Tuesday, the Champion baseball team was able to split its season series by winning Friday’s contest at Greyhound Field, 12-6.
Last year, both teams won at home, and this year, the squads picked up wins on the road as the cross-town rivalry concluded its second year.
Champion baseball coach Ben Woodchick said he was proud of how his team responded after Tuesday’s setback. He noted that he didn’t have to say much during the few days between games.
“I’m pretty hard on them, we get after it in practice, but I wasn’t as hard on them (last week) because if they were going to figure it out, they were going to do it internally. They did a good job of doing what we asked and doing it aggressively, but it wasn’t the coaches on them; it was them doing it on their own,” he said. “It was one of the cooler weeks of practice since I’ve been at Champion, guys stepping up and practicing with a chip on their shoulders. They knew they weren’t proud of Tuesday’s game, and they wanted to be proud on Friday.”
The Chargers never trailed in the game and went up 1-0 in the second inning thanks to a solo homer by Brody Bendele. They added another run in the inning and it was 2-0.
Champion scored 2, 2, 4 and 3 runs and led 11-2, going into the bottom of the fifth frame. The Chargers were on the verge of a run-rule victory, but the Greyhounds fought back and pushed in 4 runs during its last three at bats to keep that from happening.
Two of those BHS runs came in the bottom of the fifth after Jackson Grimes smacked a 2-run home run over the rightfield fence.
BHS coach Geoff Curtin said he liked the fight his team showed but noted they committed too many errors and walked too many Champion batters and that’s why they were down by 9 runs early.
“We have to do a better job of not walking people and making errors,” he said. “Seven walks and five errors, you can’t win a baseball game like that, especially against a quality opponent.” Owen Kuhl went 6.1 innings on the hill for the Chargers and threw 97 pitches. He scattered 11 hits, gave up 5 earned runs, walked 2 and struck out 3 to notch the win.
Cal Isley entered in the bottom of the seventh and retired the only two batters he faced and only needed three pitches to record the two outs.
Curtin used four different pitchers, with Eli Srp going the longest at 3.1 innings. He gave up 5 hits and struck out a batter.
Vinnie Tarantino and Asher Wren both pitched and were used situationally. Tarantino faced 5 batters and Wren threw to 4 batters.
Braden Ramirez closed it out and went the final 2.2 innings on the bump. He struck out 3 batters.
Curtin admitted he may have pulled some of the pitchers earlier than they would have liked.
“You saw a short leash tonight,” he said.
After dropping Tuesday’s contest, Woodchick said he’ll have to settle for the split.
“I’m not happy with a split, but not disappointed either because it’s two quality programs,” he said.
Despite the loss, Boerne outhit Champion, 11-8.
For the Chargers, Bendele homered and drove in 2 runs, Isley doubled and singled, pushed in 3 runs and scored twice, Austin Garritano hit 2 singles, scored a run and collected 4 RBI.
Patrick Hall and Caiden Cruz both walked twice and scored a run, Brody Eisert singled and scored 2 runs and Kuhl singled and knocked in 2 runs.
Grimes finished with a homer and a single, 3 RBI and 2 runs scored, Jake Perez doubled, singled and scored 2 runs, Josh Kory doubled and singled and picked up an RBI, while EJ Goolsby hit 2 singles and drove in a run.
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