The East Texas Broncos grabbed the momentum early and defeated the Guaranty Bank and Trust Texarkana Bulldogs, 12-4, Tuesday night at George Dobson Field.
Alex Bruce hammered a two-run home run to left field in the top of the first for East Texas. Tristan Swain, who was hit by a pitch, scored off Bruce's homer to give the Broncos an early 2-0 lead.
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Eron Sonson doubled through the hole at shortstop and scored when Alex Kugler smacked a double down the right-field line for the Bulldogs in the first.
The Bulldogs looked like they might tie the game in the second when Kyle Choate doubled off the left-field fence with one out, but was picked off at third when he tried to tag up on a Triston Brooks flyout to deep center.
The Bulldogs loaded the bases in the third after an error and two walks with one out, but Bruce got out of the jam after a pop out and ground out.
East Texas had its most productive frame in the fifth.
Ty Wilsford led off with a looping single to left field. He moved to second when Cade Coulter was safe at first on a bunt single.
The Broncos loaded the bases after Tylor Haggard beat out the throw from third for an infield single. Tristan Swain reached and a run scored on an error as East Texas padded its lead, 3-1.
Bruce smacked a 2-run single to left center to put the Broncos up, 5-1. East Texas was not finished as Phillip Sissons hit an RBI single past the third baseman. Bruce scored on Ryan Gibbons' sacrifice fly to center.
Dalton Warrick clubbed a double off the left-center fence to score Sissons and East Texas went into the bottom of the frame with an 8-1 lead.
The Bulldogs answered with a run in the bottom of the frame. A.J. Snyder walked and advanced to second after a passed ball. Kugler slugged a triple off the right-center fence to score Snyder. The Bulldogs trailed, 8-2, after five.
Led by a Kyle Choate single, Texarkana loaded the bases in the sixth. With two outs, Snyder drew a walk and a run scored.
East Texas loaded the bases in the seventh after three straight walks and wound up scored four runs off two Bulldog errors.
Texarkana went into the final stanza down 12-3.
Jake McDonald smacked a double down the third base line. Eron Sonson, who had walked, advanced to third and scored on a Layton Henson sacrifice fly to center.
East Texas 200 060 4 - 12 8 3
Texarkana 100 011 1 - 4 6 3
Alex Bruce, Tristan Swain (6) and Ryan Gibbons. Jake Whitten, A.J. Snyder (6) and Triston Brooks. WP-Bruce. LP-Whitten. HR-Broncos: Alex Bruce, 1st, one on.