Rowlett Lakeshore Times > Sports
Rowlett crushes Allen to complete series sweep
By DEVIN HASSON/Staff Writer
The Rowlett dugout was as lively as it has been in weeks on Friday.
The players were cheering, joking, hooting and hollering.
It was only the third inning, but when an avalanche of runs has crossed the plate, it is easy to kick back and relax.
The Eagles turned a tight game into a rout in the bottom of the third inning against Allen as the team reeled off 10 consecutive hits—all with two outs—as part of an 11-run inning en route to a 14-0 run-rule victory at Rowlett High School.
The victory, coupled with the 6-3 win on Friday, gives Rowlett a sweep of its Class 5A Region II quarterfinal series with Allen, its sixth consecutive victory in the playoffs and its second trip ever to the regional semifinals.
The Eagles (33-1-2), who have never advanced past the fourth round, will face either Georgetown or Klein next week.
“You know how it is when you get out here and you have that pressure, and then you get a lead and everybody relaxes and the other team gets a little bit down and those things happen,” Rowlett head coach Paul Carmon said. “These kids are good and when they settle down and relax, they’re really good.”
While starter Andrew Smith was delivering his second straight dominating performance on the mound, the story of the game was the offensive explosion in the bottom of the third inning.
It started innocently enough, with Reed Graham lacing a double to left-center sandwiched in between a pair of outs. The Eagles then embarked on a hit parade that would carry them all the way through the batting order to put the game away.
Andrew Johnson ripped a RBI single to center and Blake Hamblin wrapped a double to left-enter field. David Jackson then drilled a two-run double off the wall in center to give Rowlett a 5-0 lead.
“We felt comfortable going into the game and going into the series,” Jackson said. “It was great, we got to sit back and watch everybody go out there and hit, it was a lot of fun.”
A RBI double by Chase Castilla forced an Allen pitching change, but it did not cool down the Eagle bats. Tyler Applequist reached on an infield single and Brandon Loy drove in a run with a base hit to center.
Steven Cannon and Graham followed with run-scoring hits, and if anybody in the packed stands did not believe things were going Rowlett’s way, Drew Mayhall then had a check-swing double that found its way down the right-field line to drive home two more.
Johnson capped the rally with a two-run blast over the wall in center field to give the Eagles a 13-0 lead.
“That was amazing, I can’t think of one play in that inning that didn’t go our way,” Johnson said. “It’s good to see that. Some people talk about baseball gods and if you work hard, things go your way, but that really helped with our confidence.”
The beneficiary of the offense was Smith, who for the second consecutive week threw a one-hitter to get the win.
“I got more comfortable by the hit,” he said. “Every one of them was getting hits, which is like it has been all year, we wouldn’t be having the success we’re having without everybody coming through.”
The only hit Smith allowed was a double by Cody Brunk to lead off the game. He then retired the next three hitters to strand the runner at second.
Michael Packer was hit by a pitch leading off the second inning, but he was also stranded. Brunk reached on a one-out walk in the third, but was erased when Smith fielded a come-backer and started a 1-6-3 double play. Smith, who threw just 45 pitches in the five-inning effort, retired the final seven batters he faced.
“Again, I talked to Chase from last night and he said basically the same thing, to keep the ball down and throw strikes, just like last week against Tyler Lee,” Smith said. “All the fastballs they were fouling off, so it was just a matter of changing up the speeds and mixing it up and we were going to be successful.”
Now, Rowlett can turn its attention to what was arguably the top goal all season long. While much was made of the undefeated regular season, the Eagles wanted their success to be defined in the playoffs.
In advancing to the Class 5A Region II semifinals for the first time since 2005, this Rowlett team has a chance to do what no other has done, and that is advance to a regional final with a shot to go to the state tournament.
“We’re back in the fourth round now, the first time since 2005, and that was what we wanted to do is try to get to the state tournament and we’re four wins away from it now,” Carmon said. “It’s going to get harder, the teams we play our going to get better, we’re just going to have to keep going out there and doing what we do and that’s a big challenge but that’s what I’m supposed to do, I’m supposed to be the one that gets them ready to do that.”
The players were cheering, joking, hooting and hollering.
It was only the third inning, but when an avalanche of runs has crossed the plate, it is easy to kick back and relax.
The Eagles turned a tight game into a rout in the bottom of the third inning against Allen as the team reeled off 10 consecutive hits—all with two outs—as part of an 11-run inning en route to a 14-0 run-rule victory at Rowlett High School.
The victory, coupled with the 6-3 win on Friday, gives Rowlett a sweep of its Class 5A Region II quarterfinal series with Allen, its sixth consecutive victory in the playoffs and its second trip ever to the regional semifinals.
The Eagles (33-1-2), who have never advanced past the fourth round, will face either Georgetown or Klein next week.
“You know how it is when you get out here and you have that pressure, and then you get a lead and everybody relaxes and the other team gets a little bit down and those things happen,” Rowlett head coach Paul Carmon said. “These kids are good and when they settle down and relax, they’re really good.”
While starter Andrew Smith was delivering his second straight dominating performance on the mound, the story of the game was the offensive explosion in the bottom of the third inning.
It started innocently enough, with Reed Graham lacing a double to left-center sandwiched in between a pair of outs. The Eagles then embarked on a hit parade that would carry them all the way through the batting order to put the game away.
Andrew Johnson ripped a RBI single to center and Blake Hamblin wrapped a double to left-enter field. David Jackson then drilled a two-run double off the wall in center to give Rowlett a 5-0 lead.
“We felt comfortable going into the game and going into the series,” Jackson said. “It was great, we got to sit back and watch everybody go out there and hit, it was a lot of fun.”
A RBI double by Chase Castilla forced an Allen pitching change, but it did not cool down the Eagle bats. Tyler Applequist reached on an infield single and Brandon Loy drove in a run with a base hit to center.
Steven Cannon and Graham followed with run-scoring hits, and if anybody in the packed stands did not believe things were going Rowlett’s way, Drew Mayhall then had a check-swing double that found its way down the right-field line to drive home two more.
Johnson capped the rally with a two-run blast over the wall in center field to give the Eagles a 13-0 lead.
“That was amazing, I can’t think of one play in that inning that didn’t go our way,” Johnson said. “It’s good to see that. Some people talk about baseball gods and if you work hard, things go your way, but that really helped with our confidence.”
The beneficiary of the offense was Smith, who for the second consecutive week threw a one-hitter to get the win.
“I got more comfortable by the hit,” he said. “Every one of them was getting hits, which is like it has been all year, we wouldn’t be having the success we’re having without everybody coming through.”
The only hit Smith allowed was a double by Cody Brunk to lead off the game. He then retired the next three hitters to strand the runner at second.
Michael Packer was hit by a pitch leading off the second inning, but he was also stranded. Brunk reached on a one-out walk in the third, but was erased when Smith fielded a come-backer and started a 1-6-3 double play. Smith, who threw just 45 pitches in the five-inning effort, retired the final seven batters he faced.
“Again, I talked to Chase from last night and he said basically the same thing, to keep the ball down and throw strikes, just like last week against Tyler Lee,” Smith said. “All the fastballs they were fouling off, so it was just a matter of changing up the speeds and mixing it up and we were going to be successful.”
Now, Rowlett can turn its attention to what was arguably the top goal all season long. While much was made of the undefeated regular season, the Eagles wanted their success to be defined in the playoffs.
In advancing to the Class 5A Region II semifinals for the first time since 2005, this Rowlett team has a chance to do what no other has done, and that is advance to a regional final with a shot to go to the state tournament.
“We’re back in the fourth round now, the first time since 2005, and that was what we wanted to do is try to get to the state tournament and we’re four wins away from it now,” Carmon said. “It’s going to get harder, the teams we play our going to get better, we’re just going to have to keep going out there and doing what we do and that’s a big challenge but that’s what I’m supposed to do, I’m supposed to be the one that gets them ready to do that.”
Copyright © 2012 - Star Local News