TEXARKANA, Texas - Liberty-Eylau won two games and Atlanta defeated Texas High in the Texas High Border Battle baseball tournament at Tiger Field on Saturday.
The Leopards posted an 8-4 win over Arkansas High and edged Atlanta, 5-4, in the two early games. The Rabbs outhit the Tigers (10-6) and were victorious in the late game, 8-4.
Texas High finished the tournament with a record of 1-1-1. Each game was timed for a 1 hour and 45 minutes.
Atlanta 8, Texas High 4
Dylan Spears earned the win, tossed six innings, allowed four runs on six hits and walked two as the Rabbs built a lead and held on for the victory.
The Tigers juiced the bases in the fifth with two outs, but Atlanta got out of the jam with a groundout. Robert Cheney had reached on an error, Ben DePriest singled to right center and Luke Smith walked for Texas High.
After Tiger pitcher Nathan Steele walked the first batter in the sixth frame, he struck out the next three to give Texas High a chance at a comeback win in the bottom of the inning.
Steele, who singled through the gap at short, scored on a fielder's choice to make it 8-4 for the Tigers. Trey Lavender singled in the frame, but Spears induced a groundout with two outs to seal the Rabbs' victory.
DePriest walked and went all of the way to third base on an Atlanta throwing error. DePriest scored on a fielder's choice to give the Tigers an early 1-0 lead after the first frame.
Atlanta took the lead with three runs in the second. Kale Carpenter singled on a blooper to center, advanced to second on a passed ball and scored on a Texas High fielding error. Jack Teale, who reached on an error, scored on a fielding error by the Tigers' right fielder.Will Woodruff, who slapped a single to right field, also scored on the fielding error to give the Rabbs a 3-1 edge.
Trey Lavender popped in an RBI single to right enter for Texas High in the second inning to close the gap, 3-2. Steele, had doubled to deep right field, scored on Lavender's hit.
Jackson Warren led off the third for Atlanta with a double to left center. Brennan Gaston hit a quick roller down the third-base line for an RBI to give the Rabbs a 4-2 lead In the third. Atlanta added to its lead when designated hitter Jack Teale connected for a 2-run single. The Rabbs took a 6-2 lead into the bottom of the third.
Smith smacked a sacrifice RBI fly to center for Texas High in the third, which brought the score to 6-3.
Atlanta's Gaston had an RBI single down the third-base line to pad the Rabbs' lead, 7-3, in the fourth frame. Atlanta starting pitcher Spears retired the Tiger side in the bottom of the fourth on a flyout and two groundouts.
Teale walked, moved up to third on a single by McClure and scored when he stole home plate during the Rabbs' fifth inning. Atlanta took an 8-3 lead into the bottom of the fifth.
Texas High starting pitcher Sawyer Pritchard threw threw two innings, allowed six runs on five hits, struck out one and walked one. Nate Mennie pitched two innings in relief for the Tigers, gave up a run on five hits, struck out one and did not issue a walk.
Liberty-Eylau 5, Atlanta 4
With two outs in the sixth frame, the Leopards' Zander Hall hit a game-clinching RBI single to right center. The hit scored pitch runner Kryson Battle, who ran for Bryce Blackwell. Blackwell singled with a hot roller that made it past the Rabbs' second baseman.
Liberty-Eylau clawed its way back into the game with two runs in the fourth on a double by Parker Goodman to make it 4-3. Hall scored on a balk in the fifth inning to knot the game at 4-all.
Nate Moore doubled, moved up to third on Zach Brush's sacrifice bunt and scored on a passed ball to give Liberty-Eylau an early 1-0 lead after the first frame.
Atlanta's Nick Burden reached first on an error and moved up to second on Teale's single to right field in the second inning. Burden and Teale each moved up a bag after the L-E pitcher took the signal without his foot on the rubber. Randall Mason grounded out as Burden scored to knot the game at 1-all.
Cooper McClure slapped an RBI single down the third-base line to give the Rabbs a 2-1 lead. Collin Morris, who was hit by a pitch, scored on a fielder's choice to increase the Atlanta lead, 3-1.
Carpenter singled past the third baseman, stole second, landed on third after a fielder's choice and scored on a passed ball to give the Rabbs a 4-1 lead in the top of the third.
Colby Brooks, the starting Leopard pitcher, tossed an inning, gave up three hits and two runs and did not walk a batter. Ron Garza threw in relief for L-E, went 4 1/3 innings, allowed two runs on four hits, did not issue a walk and hit three batters.