LONGVIEW, Texas-No tears of joy could be seen from James Bowie's baseball players Saturday at Longview High School's Lobo Field.
James Bowie and Groveton players, coaches and fans were congratulating the Pirates' disappointed players after the Indians' second straight 5-1 win that ends the Bucs' season (22-6) in the Region III-2A semifinals.
The Indians advance to play Woden, one of two teams to beat Groveton (29-2) this season. Woden eliminated Overton with 2-0 and 5-1 wins.
"Groveton is a very good baseball team, but at the same time I couldn't be prouder of my players; this hurts, and it should after all the hard work these kids put into this season," James Bowie coach Wace Forga said. "We pitched well and played good enough defense to win both of these games, but couldn't get the bats going. Pitching and defense has been the key to our whole season."
Only three teams scored as many as five runs against the Pirates, and Groveton did it twice.
James Bowie wasted a golden opportunity to seize the game's momentum in the first inning.
Logan Graham and Dalton McBride drew walks on 3-2 offerings from winning pitcher Glenn Thornton, who would throw 26 of his 108 pitches in the opening frame. Graham and McBride moved up on a passed ball, but were stranded after two strikeouts and a comebacker to the mound.
Thornton was over-powering, striking out two Pirates in each of the six innings he pitched. The hard-throwing righty allowed one and walking six to go with his 12 strikeouts.
Cody Fairchild took over on the mound in the seventh, and got in a bit of trouble walking Branson Wilson and Graham. He got a fielder's choice grounder and a strikeout to end the Pirates' season.
"We lose some good seniors, but we've got our top two pitchers (Bailey Obenoskey and Barron) back and they'll be better," Forga said. "When you get this far in the playoffs you know you've got to play your best baseball in all phases of the game, and we just never got our bats going."
The Indians scored all the runs it would need in the third after Chance Coker walked and Fairchild was hit by a pitch with two outs. Coker would score the game's first run on a passed ball, and Fairchild touched home on Braston Terry's single to left.
James Bowie's only run scored in the fourth on three walks and Cody Roberson's single to center. Thornton stranded three Pirate baserunners with a strikeout.
Groveton made it 4-1 in the fifth. Haden Terry started the inning with an infield hit, stole second, scoring on Fairchild's single to right. Fairchild stole second and scored on the Pirates' only error of the game.
The Indians had six stolen bases in the game, taking advantage of an injury to catcher Branson Wilson, whose throwing hand was hit by a foul ball early in the contest.
Haden Terry led the Indians at the plate with two singles.
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Evan Barron and Branson Wilson; Glenn Thornton, Cody Fairchild (7) and Anthony Chavez. WP-Thornton (11-1); LP-Barron (7-2).