LUFKIN — A sixth-inning rally fell a run short and Rose Capital West Minors 10U held on for a 3-2 win over Lufkin’s Minors in District 10 tournament play here Thursday night at Morris Frank Park.
Rose Capital West scored once in the third and added a pair of runs in the fifth to go up 3–0.
Lufkin had one last shot and Anthonie Stewart worked a full count off Rose Capital West starter Preston May before drawing a walk to start the top of the sixth.
Peyton Joyner followed with a single up the middle off the Rose Capital West second baseman. An error on the play moved Stewart to third and Joyner to second. Easton Bowers singled between first and second on an 0-2 count to score Stewart.
An error on the play allowed Joyner to score and moved Bowers to second.
With the lead trimmed to 3-2 and no outs, Rose Capital West brought in Levi Solly to relieve May.
James Scrivener reached on a ground ball hit to third and Ryder Cole walked to load the bases.
Solly got the next batter on a strikeout looking for the first out of the inning.
Lufkin’s next batter grounded to first and the Rose Capital West first baseman threw to home for a force out, leaving the bases loaded with two outs.
Solly got the next batter on a strikeout looking and Rose Capital West escaped with a 3-2 win.
May went five full innings on the mound, allowing just one baserunner in the second, third and fifth before getting into trouble in the sixth.
Lufkin had baserunners reach second in the fourth and fifth, but couldn’t get across any runs.
May scored Rose Capital West’s first run of the game in the third. May reached on an error, stole second and moved around to score on a pair of pitches that got past the catcher.
Rose Capital West had a pair of baserunners on in the fourth when a lightning delay paused the game for almost an hour.
After returning, Rose Capital West’s Brett Smith drew a walk to load the bases. Lufkin’s Bowers, on in relief of starter Lane Arrington, struck out the next batter to keep the score at 1-0.
Rose City West added to its lead in the fifth, getting only one hit to account for two runs.
Blanton Crawford was hit by a pitch and Griffen Canion walked with one out. A groundout by May brought in a run and Parker Culp got an RBI single to push the lead to 3-0 after five innings.
Hitters in the game for Lufkin were Landon Anthony, John Sauntry, Joyner, Bowers and Scrivener all with singles.
Rose Capital West advances and will host the championship game on Monday in Tyler and will play the winner of an elimination game between Lufkin and Rose Capital East set for 7 p.m. Saturday at Morris Frank Park.
Originally published on tylerpaper.com, part of the BLOX Digital Content Exchange.