Comanches reach 1A regional final
( Region IV SemiFinal, Game Two - Shiner 2, Brackettville 1)
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Mike Forman, Advocate Sports Writer
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SAN ANTONIO - Shiner pitcher Josh Nance admitted he was getting more nervous and more determined as each inning passed in Game 2 of the Comanches' best-of-three Class 1A regional semifinal series against Brackettville.
Shiner outfielder Ryan Lawrence slaps a sacrifice fly to center field to allow pinch runner Adam Kalich to score the winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning in Saturday's 2-1 Regional Semifinal victory over Brackettville at St. Mary's V.J. Keefe Field in San Antonio. photo by BaerCom
"It was nerve wracking," Nance said. "We've been in these kind of games a lot. You can't give up underneath the pressure."
Nance pitched a three-hitter and the Comanches pushed across a run on a sacrifice fly by Ryan Lawrence in the bottom of the eighth inning to capture a 2-1 win over the Tigers on Saturday at V.J. Keefe Stadium.
No. 1 Shiner improved to 27-2 by sweeping the series and advanced to the regional final against Thorndale, which swept its regional final series against D'Hanis.
"You don't see panic," Shiner coach Daniel Boedeker said of the Comanches, who won claimed their second extra-inning win of the postseason. "We may press a little bit. But I thought we stayed within ourselves and played good defense and were able to win it at the end."
Nance made up for a frustrating Shiner offense that had 10 hits, including three by D.J. Pustka and two by Kyle Condel, but left 11 runners on base and went 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position.
"I thought Josh pitched well," Boedeker said. "He hung in there and gave us a chance to win it and that's what we wanted him to do."
Nance, who was making his second appearance of the playoffs, took a no- hitter into the fifth inning before yielding three singles. He struck out five, walked two and hit three batters, while allowing only two runners to reach third base.
Pinch runner Adam Kalich is mobbed by Josh Nance (8) and D.J. Pustka (1) after scoring the winning run on Ryan Lawrence's sacrifice fly in the bottom of the eighth inning in Saturday's 2-1 Regional Semifinal victory over Brackettville at St. Mary's V.J. Keefe Field in San Antonio. photo by BaerCom
Nance also picked off a runner and Brackettville (15-7) had three other runners thrown out on the bases, giving it seven for the series.
The Tigers scored in the first inning when Ivan Pinales led off and reached first after striking out on a pitch in the dirt. Pinales went to second on an errant pickoff attempt by Nance, took third on a sacrifice by K.J. Bonner and came home on a sacrifice fly by Travis Bonner.
"I felt pretty good," said Nance, who threw 92 pitches. "I was just trying to throw strikes. Kyle (Condel) told me that when he pitched against them on Wednesday that their 2,3 and 4 hitters like to swing at high pitches and the rest of their hitters just put the ball in play."
Shiner struck out nine times against Brackettville starter Travis Bonner but had runners on base in every inning. The Comanches stole three bases in four attempts but left two runners at third base and four at second.
"I told the kids we did everything well today except get the clutch hit," Boedeker said. "I think we might have been a little tense at the plate and we were trying to do too much. We need work on our two-strike hitting approach and we need to start getting some clutch hits."
Shiner tied the game in the fourth when Condel led off with a single, stole second and scored on a two-out single by Dalton Handley after the Tigers had intentionally walked Julian Longoria.
After leaving the bases loaded in the fifth, a runner on second in the sixth and runners on first and third in the seventh, the Comanches pushed across the decisive run in the eighth.
Longoria led off with a single before pinch runner Adam Kalich stole second and went to third when the throw by catcher Jeff Sitgreaves went into the outfield. Travis Bonner walked Handley on four pitches before Lawrence lifted a fly ball to center field on a 1-1 pitch that was deep enough to allow Kalich to beat Robert Davis' throw to the plate.
"We were hoping to get to this point and we went through a lot of good teams to get here," Boedeker said. "We know Thorndale has a great team. We know them and they know us. There won't be any secrets."
Game summary Score F Brackett 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -- 1 Shiner 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 -- 2 Highlights One out when winning run scored Travis Bonner and Jeff Sitgreaves. Josh Nance and Mark Casteel. WP: Nance (4-1). LP: Bonner. Highlights: (S) Nance 8 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 5 SO; D.J. Pustka 3-for-4; Kyle Condel 2-for-3, run, SB; Julian Longoria 1-for-3; Dalton Handley 1-for-3, RBI; Adam Kalich SB, run; Ryan Lawrence 1-for-3, SB, game-winning sacrifice fly. Records: Brackettville 15-7; Shiner 27-2. Note: Shiner wins series 2-0 and will play Thorndale in regional final.
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