West Orange-Stark completed the District 22-4A season undefeated and in first place. Friday night the Mustangs picked up where they left off after district play taking Game 1 of their best of three Bi-District playoff series with the Diboll Lumberjacks 5-1 in Jasper.
Starting Mustangs pitcher Jack Dallas was not overpowering in winning the ballgame, but there were no complaints heard on his performance. Jack pitched a complete game yielding just the one run on six hits and one walk. Dallas struck out eight and retired the last eight Lumberjacks to close out the victory.
His brother Chad Dallas contributed to the win as Jack’s battery mate behind the plate. Chad also figured in both of the innings that West Orange-Stark scored runs with a walk in the first and a single to lead off the fourth.
The Mustangs took the early lead with three runs in the bottom of the first. BB Tezeno started the rally with a line drive single to center. KJ Miller moved him to second with a good bunt. Jack Dallas did a very nice job of hitting by bouncing a ball into the hole between first and second which was wider because Diboll was trying to hold Tezeno close to second to no avail. Tezeno scored on Jack’s 24 RBI of the season matching Ryan Ragsdale for the team lead.
Diboll starter Kyle Guevara walked the next two Mustangs, Ragsdale and Chad Dallas to load the bases. Tre’ Bernard got an RBI on a fielder’s choice scoring pinch runner Jarron Morris. West Orange-Stark executed a double steal with Bernard taking second and Ragsdale coming home with the third run after the throw went down to second base.
The Lumberjacks had runners left on base in the first two innings before scoring in the top of the third. Andrew Rios started the inning with the only walk issued by Dallas. He went to second on a sacrifice. Guevara registered his second hit of the game with another grounder hit in the hole between first and second to score Rios and make the score 3-1. Guevara was thrown out trying to steal by Chad before Jack retired the next batter on a grounder to Miller at shortstop to end the inning.
Chad Dallas singled to left to begin the Mustangs rally in the bottom of the fourth. Ja’Vonn Ross ran for Chad. Bernard laid a beautiful bunt down the first base line that Guevara and first baseman Jovanni Concha both charged to field, however, no one covered first base as Tre’ beat it out for a single. The threat of the Mustangs stealing again resulted in a throwing error by the Diboll catcher allowing Ross to come home making it 4-1.
Te’ron Brown after failing to get a bunt down doubled to drive in Bernard and put the Mustangs up 5-1. It almost became a five-run lead when Kaleb Ramsey followed with a single, but Brown was thrown out at the plate on a nice throw by the Lumberjacks’ right fielder.
The two teams match up for Game 2 of the series Saturday morning at 10:00 again at the Jasper Athletic Complex. Chad Dallas is expected to start on the mound for West Orange-Stark.
-Dan Perrine, KOGT-
Diboll 0 0 1 0 0 0 0- 1
WOS 3 0 0 2 0 0 X- 5
–
Orangefield got a big road win with a 2-1 win at Lufkin Hudson. The Bobcats scored both runs early behind the pitching of Mason Gonzalez, and then held on as Hudson’s comeback fell short.
The series will move to Orangefield on Saturday at noon.
–
Bridge City lost to Huntington 2-1. But Games Two and Three will be at Bridge City on Saturday beginning at 2pm.
–
Deweyville lost both games to Iola and were eliminated from the 2A playoffs.
Social Media