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Wednesday, June 10
Texarkana Texas outslugs Brenham to advance to Class 4A title game

CLASS 4A STATE SEMIFINAL

Texarkana Texas outslugs Brenham to advance to Class 4A title game

Tigers devour Cubs in 15-9 win

By LONNIE KING

© 2009, Houston5ABaseball.com

In their playoff run through Region III in 2009, the Brenham Cubs often managed to answer their opponents' rallies and do just a little better. In the Class 4A state semifinal against Texarkana Texas High School on Wednesday at Dell Diamond, the Cubs found an opponent who turned the tables on them.

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Brenham answered a seven-run second inning by the Texas High Tigers with seven runs of their own in the fourth inning, but could not match the firepower of the Tigers in the other innings and lost, 15-9, in their fourteenth state tournament appearance.

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Texas High followed their seven-run second inning with three runs in the third and four in the fourth and a single run in the seventh inning. The Tigers posted 13 hits and benefitted from two Brenham errors, six walks and four hit batsmen.

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Brenham's nine runs were the team's best offensive output since first-round wins over Elgin, but, afterward, Cubs' head coach Jim Long acknowledged that his pitching couldn't find a way to slow the Tiger lineup.

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"I thought we did a great job battling to get here and I thought we did a great job offensively, but the other part of our game (pitching and defense) wasn't here," said Long. "We knew we had to play a perfect game to beat these guys and win a state championship and we didn't play that today."

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"But I'm very proud of the guys and they did a terrific job."

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Cub starter Chase Wellbrock got through the opening inning without damage, besides a sharply-hit two-out single to Slade Heathcott, who one day earlier was made a first-round draft pick of the New York Yankees. Brenham then manufactured a run in the top of the second on a leadoff double by Jeremy Hall and ground outs that moved him to third and home.

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But Wellbrock walked three and hit two batters in the second before allowing triples to Heathcott and Caleb Adams. Texas High led 7-1 after two innings.

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Brenham's woes continued in the third, as the Tigers added three more runs. An RBI triple by Logan Preston, one of four Texas High triples in the game, a throwing error and a wild pitch produced the runs and gave the Tigers a 10-1 lead. Buzz about a potential run-rule victory began to circulate in portions of Dell Diamond.

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But Brenham's offense roared back in their half of the fourth inning, fueled in part by walks and hit batsmen. Matt Rooker drove in a run with a bases-loaded ground out. After Scott Weinschenk was hit by a pitch to re-load the bases, Colten Walla was walked to bring home the second run of the inning. Drake Roberts brought home another run, when he reached on an error as Heathcott dropped a fly ball in centerfield.

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Seth Spivey followed with a two-RBI single and Erich Weiss singled to score another run. Eric Preuss completed the scoring with an RBI double to make it 10-8.

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The Cubs' pitchers would not be able to hold the Tigers in check. Texas High added four runs in the fourth for a 14-8 lead.

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I really thought we were coming back," said Long afterward, "but then again, our pitchers started walking and hitting them again. You can't give good teams base runners, and we did that all today."

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For Long, it was a bittersweet ending to a great season.

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"Once you get here, you want it," said Long. "You don't want to wait till next year or the year after because you don't know if that's ever going to happen again. You want to take advantage of the opportunities that you have."

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Although Brenham will not have an opportunity to add to their total of six state championship, after the game, Long could see the silver lining with respect to the effect this could have on next year's team, the majority of whom will return in 2010.

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"We'll have the maturity, the 'been-there-before' thing and the confidence level," the Cubs' coach stated. "This (experience) has to benefit us, no doubt."

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Brenham finishes their season with a 32-6 record. Texas High (29-7) moves on to play the winner of the Corpus Christi Moody-Fort Worth Arlington Heights semifinal in the 4A state championship on Thursday.

photo;Byers/H5AB "WE ARE THERE"