PANTHERS OPEN THE BURTON TOURNAMENT WITH A WIN OVER HEMPSTEAD

The Burton Panther Baseball Team improved to 3-0 on the season with a 9-2 victory over Hempstead to open the Burton Tournament earlier today (Thursday). Due to the Burton ISD construction project, the game was played at Schulte Field at Hohlt Park in Brenham.

Hempstead took the early lead with a run in the top of the first. In the bottom of the inning, Burton would get the run back and then some. Ryder Biggs reached on a one-out single. He would then come home on an RBI double by Braydon Martin to tie it 1-1. Reuben Rodriguez was hit by a pitch, and Coy Gurka singled to load the bases.. Eli Jaeger followed with a two-run single that scored Martin and Rodriguez to give the Panthers a 3-1 lead.

The Bobcats score a run in the top of the second to cut the lead to 3-2. However, Burton would get the run back in the bottom of the third on an RBI single by Jaeger that scored Rodriguez, which made 4-2 Panthers.

In the fourth inning, Brady Griffin led it off with a double. Two batters later Ryder Biggs hit a fly ball that was dropped in the outfield, which allowed Griffin to score. The run also increased the Burton lead to 5-2.

The Panthers finished the game off with four runs in the bottom of the fifth. Rodriguez singled, and later came around to score on a passed ball. Jaeger walked, Isaac Matthies singled, and Eli Simank walked to load the bases. Jaeger scored on another passed ball to make it 7-2. Ryder Biggs reached on an infield hit, and an error by Hempstead allowed Matthies to score. Simank also scored on another Bobcat error. To make it 9-2, which ended up being the final.

Next up for Burton, they will play Lexington tomorrow (Friday) morning at 10am, and Weimar at 2pm. Both games are at Schulte Field at Hohlt Park in Brenham. The tournament games return to Panther Field in Burton on Saturday.

HITTING

Eli Jaeger 2 for 2 two singles, walk, run, three RBIs

Ryder Biggs 2 for 4 two singles, run, RBI

Reuben Rodriguez 2 for 2 two singles, three runs

Brady Griffin 1 for 3 double, run

Braydon Martin 1-4 double, run, RBI

Isaac Matthies 1 for 3 single, run

Coy Gurka 1 for 3 single

PITCHING

WP Reuben Rodriguez 5 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 4 K