Steers advance to the regional final after sweeping Rangers

The Graham Steers advanced once again in the post season and are now heading to the regional final after sweeping the El Paso Riverside Rangers in two games.

Graham accomplished this once again by putting on an offensive clinic that proved to be too much to overcome for El Paso Riverside. 

In game one, the teams bats came alive from key playmakers like Ryder Taylor hitting a bases clearing RBI triple to put the Steers up 2-1 Early. 

Tanner Hurford also came through with a multi hit performance to keep momentum thoroughly in Graham’s hands which made an impact in the team ultimately taking a 9-1 lead by the bottom of the fourth. 

That proved to be too much for the Rangers in that contest as the Steers came up with a 9-5 victory and one game away from advancing to the next round of the playoffs. 

Game two kicked off Saturday, May 17. Unlike game one, the pot needed to boil a little bit before Graham’s bats came alive once again. 

Harison Brockway had an early chance at scoring the opening run but was picked off at home in the top of the first. 

Ty Thompson also got stranded at third in the top of the second and Taylor also got stranded after a leadoff double in the top of the third. 

However, with this many chances one had to think eventually Graham’s offense would come through and see some runners start crossing the plate, and that they did. 

Thompson kicked off the top of the fourth with a full count walk after a seven pitch at bat. The senior then stole second base with Bruin Wright up at the plate.

A pair of wild pitches from the Rangers, including a dropped third strike on Colter Johnson, allowed Thompson to advance to third and steal home, scoring the game's first run and giving Graham a 1-0 lead. 

The Steers actually lost the lead shortly after on a fielding error which plated two runs for El Paso and an additional run on another error in the outfield which led Graham into their final two innings trailing 3-1. 

However, just like in their first round matchup against the Lubbock Cooper Liberty Patriots, the team got hot just at the right time. 

In the top of the sixth, the bases were loaded after Tripp Mahaney reached safely after being hit by a pitch alongside a single from Hurford and a safe reach on a fielding error by Thompson.

Bruin Wright kept things going with a sacrifice bunt plating pinch runner Levi Jilek and suddenly it was a one run game. 

One batter later, Johnson came through with arguably the at bat of his season when he laced a triple into center field clearing the bases, scoring Hurford and Thompson and gaining back the Steers a 4-3 lead. 

Brockway added a little insurance with a bases loaded walk making it a 5-3 game and Mike Garcia hit a two RBI double into center field scoring both Mason Milton and Taylor to make it a 7-3 affair. 

El Paso Riverside scored two more runs to make it 7-5 but that was all she wrote as Graham punched their ticket to the regional final.

The team will face off against in a one-game match against the Brock Eagles in the regional final at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 22 at Tarleton State University.