ROUND ROCK, Texas-Linden-Kildare took advantage of three Valley Mills errors and Jacob Owen pitched a shutout for the Tigers in their 5-0 win over Valley Mills on Wednesday in a Class 2A semifinal game at Dell Diamond.
Owen scattered three hits and needed 92 pitches to go the distance, the L-K defense played solidly behind him and a big swing broke open the game for the Tigers.
Linden-Kildare (21-9) plays defending state champ Dallardsville Big Sandy (35-4) in today's 2A championship game at noon.
"We get to play in the last game of the season; nobody (from 2A) will play after us," Tigers head coach John Roberts said. "We break out 'Us' every day, and I told the kids it gets to be about us one more time."
After an error brought home the Tigers' second run of the game, an intentional walk loaded the bases in the seventh inning.
Nic Kunze hammered a stand-up triple over the right fielder's head with two outs for the final tally.
"Our pitcher was doing a good job of controlling their lineup," Roberts said. "And getting that huge hit in the seventh inning to pad the lead gave us the cushion to close it out."
Chase Keeton absorbed the loss for the Eagles, who finished their season at 28-7. Keeton threw 101 pitches over seven innings, struck out 10, walked two and hit a pair.
A pair of one-out errors led to the Tigers' run in the third inning. A walk loaded the bases, bringing up Duece Schuler, who singled to right for an RBI hit.
Keeton thwarted any more damage and left the bases juiced with a pair of strikeouts.
"Both pitchers did a great job; they both competed really well and we're both in control of the game," Roberts said. "We got the break early with the ball dropping in to score the run. He (Keeton) was tough on us."
Dalton Alford singled to right to start the game, but the next Linden-Kildare batter grounded into a 6-3 double play as Valley Mills shortstop Cory McNair fielded the hard grounder, touched the bag at second and threw to first in time.
Keeton singled past the mound to lead off the bottom of the first, and courtesy runner Jayson Jones was bunted over. Owen fanned the next batter, and L-K stranded a pair on to end the inning.
Kunze drilled a long single into the right-center alley to start the Tigers' second inning, but a groundout to first and strikeout left the runner at second to end the frame.
Owen retired eight Eagles in a row after his two-out walk in the first inning. Tyler Philipp, who had worked that four-pitch walk, lined a one-out single to center in the bottom of the fourth for Valley Mills. Owen picked Philipp off at second, and a strikeout ended the inning.
Owen retired the last seven Valley Mills batters to close the game.
"I knew Owen could go get a win because he does a good job of varying his pitches, varying his speed and varying his delivery. When he's on, the way his ball moves, he can be tough to hit, and today was proof of that."
Kunze was 2 for 4 with three RBI on his triple, Schuler had his RBI single, and Alford had the other hit for Linden-Kildare.
Linden-Kildare 001 000 4-5 4 1
Valley Mills 000 000 0-0 3 3
Jacob Owen and Duece Schuler. Chase Keeton and Copper Nix. WP-Owen. LP-Keeton.