Second Baptist Eagles Headed Back to State Final Four Baseball Tournament

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Coach Jeff Schroeder and the Eagles met up with Dallas Parish Episcopal at Marble Falls High School in a best of three series to decide the Regional Championship. The matchup featured the TAPPS District 2 champions of Dallas against the District 4 runner up Eagles of Houston, who entered the contest with a record of 30-5.

The first game on Friday night was delayed due to a tire blowout on I-10 as the team headed to Marble Falls. After securing another bus and arriving ready to play, the Eagles took the field with Senior ace, and Dallas Baptist signee, Jay Calhoun on the mound.  After Calhoun struck out the side in the top of the first inning, the Eagles came out swinging in the bottom of the first.

The Eagles scored eight runs, highlighted by a three- run homerun by Senior first baseman Trey Soape, and a bases-loaded triple by Junior Drew Tolson. Calhoun dominated on the mound all evening giving up only one hit, striking out ten with no walks to earn the five inning, run rule victory. Eight of the nine starters for Second Baptist had hits, highlighted by Soape’s 3 for 3 night at the plate with a single, double and homerun with 3 RBIs. The one hour and sixteen minute game ended with the Eagles on top with eleven runs and Dallas Parish failed to score.

The teams headed into Saturday morning ready to play two games if necessary. The hill country weather was great with lots of sunshine and a little less wind swirling around the diamond. Dallas Parish sent their number one pitcher, Junior Dallas Aldernan, up to face the red- hot Eagles, while SBS countered with proven Junior Daniel Rankin.  Unlike Friday night’s game, this one turned into a pitchers dual with both pitchers shutting down the hitters.

After going three innings with no runs scored, Dallas Parish made a move in the bottom of the fourth. With one out the second place batter doubled and eventually made his way to 3^rd base where he scored on a controversial call at the plate following a wild pitch. It appeared pitcher Daniel Rankin tagged out the runner at home, but the ump called him safe and Parrish took the lead for the first time in the series. The Eagles closed the door after that run and Parrish led 1-0 after four innings. The Eagles quickly responded in the top of the fifth with sophomore Will Zimmerman being called safe at first on a controversial bang-bang play following a throwing error by the second baseman for Parrish. Sophomore Carter Brown then proceeded to jump start Second Baptist with a double to right center field scoring Zimmerman and tying the game. Junior Evan Brown then got on with another throwing error by the second baseman, putting two men on base as Junior Billy Arendt came to the plate with two outs. As he has done all season, Arendt delivered the big hit with a clutch triple scoring both Browns and giving Second Baptist their first lead of the game at 3-1.

Senior Catcher Garrett Luce led off the sixth with a single to left, eventually making his way to third, but was left stranded and did not score. In the bottom of the sixth, Rankin struck out the first batter in the sixth and then Parrish’s lead-off hitter and pitcher,  Dallas Aldernan, doubled to give the Panthers life. This prompted a pitching change with Drew Tolson taking over on the mound. After striking out the second batter in the order, Parish’s third spot hitter banged a high chopper over Tolson’s head for an infield single putting men at first and second. Tolson responded brilliantly striking out the next two batters and squelching the threat.

In the top of the seventh Arendt had his second hit of the game but the Eagles were unable to push across an insurance run. Dallas Parish went into the bottom of the seventh with their playoff life hanging by a thread. Tolson struck out the first two batters in the seventh. Dallas’s 8-hole hitter then had a clean single up the middle keeping their hopes alive with two outs. Tolson was once again up to the challenge getting a called third strike to end the game. Daniel Rankin got the win and Tolson got the save.

The Second Baptist Eagles took the series 2 games to none and move on to the State Semi-finals in Waco on Friday, May 13^th at 10:30 a.m. at the Waco ISD Athletic Complex.