BURTON BASEBALL SPLITS REGION SEMIFINAL DOUBLEHEADER WITH PORT ARANSAS
It was a tale of two games last (Thursday) night as the Burton Panther Baseball Team split their Region Semifinal playoff games with the Port Aransas Marlins in Yoakum. The Panthers won the first game 13-0, but then the Marlins came back to win the second game 4-2.
In the first game, the Panthers jumped out to an early lead with three runs in the top of the first inning. Tyler Witt started it off with a single, and then, he stole second base. Logun Tosta followed with an RBI single that scored Witt to put Burton on the board 1-0. Two batters later, Rueben Rodriguez slugged an RBI double to score Tosta to make it 2-0. Then, Eli Jaeger hit an RBI single to score Rodriguez and increase the lead to 3-0 Panthers.
Burton would then bust the game open with six runs in the top of the second inning. Easton Witt led off the inning with a single, and Coy Gurka got hit by a pitch. Tyler Witt, then hit into a fielder's choice that allowed his younger brother, Easton, to score. Tosta ripped a double to score Gurka and make it 5-0 Panthers.
Braydon Martin added a two-run single to score Tyler and Tosta. Ryder Biggs singled, and on an error by the centerfielder, Martin scored, and Biggs used his speed to circle the bases to score, and to give Burton a 9-0 advantage.
The Panthers added another run in the third inning. Tosta hit a two-out double, advanced to third on a wild pitch, and scored on an error to give Burton a 10-0 lead.
The Panthers would then put the finishing touches on the game with three more runs in the top of the fifth. Isaac Matthies and Tyler Witt led off the inning with back-to-back singles. Tosta reached on an error that allowed Matthies to score. Martin rounded out the scoring with a two-run single that plated Tyler and Tosta.
Tyler Witt got the win by pitching a no-hitter, with five shutout innings, walking one, and striking out nine.
HITTING
Logun Tosta 3-4 single, two doubles, four runs, two RBIs
Braydon Martin 3-4 three singles, run, four RBIs
Tyler Witt 2-4 two singles, three runs
Rueben Rodriguez 1-3 double, walk, run, RBI
Eli Jaeger 1-1 single, walk, RBI
Easton Witt 1-2 single, run
Isaac Matthies 1-2 single, run
PITCHING
WP Tyler Witt 5 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 9 K's
However, the second game was a different story as Port Aransas came back to win 4-2. Marlin pitcher Straton Mills held Burton to two unearned runs on two hits, while walking three and striking out six.
Port Aransas took the lead first with two runs in the top of the first inning on a sacrifice fly by Dylan Chastain and an RBI double by Mills.
Burton got one the runs of back in the bottom of the third inning. Archer Fuller singled, and later scored on a groundout by Tosta to cut the lead to 2-1.
Neither team would see the scoreboard again until the sixth inning.
The Marlins took advantage of a couple of Burton errors two tack on two more runs in the top half of the inning to increase their lead to 4-1.
In the bottom of the inning, Braydon Martin reached on an error. Easton Witt came into the game as a courtesy runner and scored on a wild pitch to cut the advantage down to 4-2. Unfortunately, that would not be enough, as Port Aranas would even the series at 1-1 each.
HITTING
Ryder Biggs 1-2 single, walk
Ashton Fuller 1-2 Single, run
PITCHING
LP Eli Jaeger 7 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 1 ER, 2 BB 6 K's
The series resumes on Saturday at 1pm back in Yoakum. KWHI will have live coverage beginning with the pregame at 12:30pm on 1280AM, 101.7FM, and KWHI.com. The winner will move on to the Regional Championship against the winner of Shiner-Goldthwaite. Shiner leads that series 1-0.