ROUND ROCK, Texas-Dallardsville Big Sandy repeated, much to Linden-Kildare's chagrin.
The Wildcats successfully defended their Class 2A state baseball title, building an early lead and never letting go during a 7-1 victory over the Tigers in the final Thursday at Dell Diamond.
Senior Broch Holmes, who pitched the seventh inning for Big Sandy on Wednesday during a 4-1 win over Albany, pitched five innings to notch the win for the Wildcats (36-4).
Holmes, who was selected the championship game MVP, threw 86 pitches, struck out eight, walked two and gave up one unearned run on two hits.
Mason Johnson absorbed the loss for Linden-Kildare (21-10). The sophomore pitched 5 1/3 innings and scattered eight hits and seven runs-just four earned. He fanned three and hit three.
L-K stranded eight baserunners in the game, including two in both the sixth and seventh innings after scoring its lone run in the fifth.
"This team is all about going out and battling," Tigers head coach John Roberts said. "We play as hard as we can, and these kids never quit. I was very proud of them for that.
"Even though we were down, and it didn't always seem possible, our guys kept playing hard and kept battling. That's all you can ask kids to do."
Dalton Alford managed just the second hit for the Tigers, this one coming with two outs in the bottom of the fifth. A passed ball sent Alford to second, he continued to third on the play, attracting a throw, and he scored on a throwing error.
Big Sandy took a commanding lead in the second inning, when the Wildcats batted around.
McKane Maxwell followed a hit batsman with a line-drive single to left. Brayden Lenox grounded an RBI single to left, and an error on a fielder's choice loaded the bases with one out. Case Sutherland was hit by a pitch to earn an RBI, and Graden Emmons' fly all to center went for an RBI fielder's choice as a force out was recorded at third by L-K center fielder Trent Wert.
Bryan Duff lined a single to center to plate the fourth run of the inning for Big Sandy, which stranded two on to end the frame.
"They had that one big inning, where they got the ball rolling and came up with some big hits," Roberts said. "They're a good-hitting team; they're probably one of the best offensive teams we've seen all year long.
"They're capable of putting innings like that (second inning) pretty quickly."
Holmes legged out a hustle double with his ground ball through the hole to left to start the third inning for the Wildcats. A pair of wild pitches brought him around for a 5-0 lead.
Duff added a two-out, RBI single in the fourth after the first Big Sandy batter of the inning was hit by a pitch and bunted over.
An error and a walk in the first inning with the Tigers at the plate ended with two left on as Holmes notched strikeouts sandwiched around his walk.
He walked another in the second, stranding the L-K runner, and Jacob Owen singled with one out in the third for the Tigers. Owen advanced to second but was left there to end the inning.
Johnson followed a one-out error in the sixth with a single to center field. A groundout to first moved both runners into scoring position, but reliever Maxwell was able to work out of the jam with no damage.
Owen was 2 for 4 for the Tigers.
"This season has given us some great memories of us overcoming obstacles," Roberts said. "These kids rose up. They faced three Game 3s to get here, and being led by a group of seniors who did a great job. I couldn't be prouder of these young men."
Big Sandy 041 101 0-7 8 3
Linden-Kildare 000 010 0-1 4 1
Brock Holmes, McKane Maxwell (6) and Garrett Lilley. Mason Johnson, Trent Wert (6) and Duece Schuler. WP-Holmes. LP-Johnson.