Steers fall to Stephenville in final inning
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(TC GORDON | THE GRAHAM LEADER) Graham sophomore Tripp Mahaney keeps his eye on the ball as he swings and connects with a pitch during one of the team’s games earlier this season. The Steers took a close 4-3 loss to Stephenville last Thursday, March 28. -
(TC GORDON | THE GRAHAM LEADER) Graham’s Bruin Wright extends and fires a pitch home during one of the team’s games earlier this season. The Steers took a last-inning loss to Stephenville 4-3 last Thursday, March 28. -
(TC GORDON | THE GRAHAM LEADER) Graham head coach Allen McGee high-fives his players as they come off the field after a strong defensive inning during one of the team’s games earlier this season. The Steers fell 4-3 to Stephenville last Thursday, March 28 in a pitcher’s battle. -
(TC GORDON | THE GRAHAM LEADER) Graham junior Harison Brockway catches a pop fly at shortstop for an out during one of the team’s earlier games this season. The Steers played a close game but ultimately took a 4-3 loss to Stephenville last Thursday, March 28. -
(TC GORDON | THE GRAHAM LEADER) Graham junior Ty Thompson connects with a pitch for a long hit during one of the team’s games earlier this season. The Steers fought hard but lost to Stephenville 4-3 last Thursday, March 28.
Every game the Steers have had with Stephenville this season has involved a heavy dose of quality pitching. Last Thursday’s game was no different, but Graham came out on the losing side of a 4-3 final score to the Yellow Jackets.
The two teams battled each other the entire game as the outcome wasn’t decided until the final inning. Each team scored three runs through the first six innings and it wasn’t until Stephenville’s turn in the top of the seventh inning that the visitors scored the go-ahead run to take the win.
The winning run came after the Yellow Jackets’ leadoff hitter reached on an error, moved to second base on a sacrifice bunt and came around to score on a single to right field. It was an unearned run for the stat book but it made the difference in the outcome of the game as the Steers went down in order in their half of the seventh to end it.
Junior Bruin Wright started the game on the mound for Graham and pitched the first four innings before getting relieved by junior Harison Brockway who finished off the final three innings. Wright made it through the first two innings without any problems but ran into some trouble in the third.
Stephenville led off the third inning with two singles and then had a hit batter to load the bases. Another single, a fielder’s choice and a sacrifice bunt turned into three runs for the Yellow Jackets before Wright secured the third out on a groundout to shortstop.
Facing a 3-0 deficit, the Steers responded immediately in their half of the inning. Tripp Mahaney reached on a single to left field and then courtesy runner Cameron Calhoun came around to score on a long triple from junior Ty Thompson.
Ryder Taylor kept the inning and scoring going with a single to right field to score Thompson. The next batter, Colter Johnson, reached base on an errant throw from Stephenville’s third baseman, which allowed Taylor to circle the bases and score the team’s third run to tie the game at 3-3.
Over the next few innings, each team got runners on base with hits, walks or errors but nothing ever came of them.
The Steers struggled defensively as they recorded five errors in the game. But Wright and Brockway held on as well as they could until Stephenville took advantage in the final inning to pull ahead and take the win.
Each team only recorded four hits in the game, as Thompson led the team going 2-for-4 while Mahaney finished 1-for-4 and Taylor went 1-for-3. As the team enters the final month of the regular season, the Steers sit at 10-9 overall and have a 3-3 record in district play, good for third place in the district standings.
After a home game Tuesday, April 2 against Brownwood, the Steers will travel to the home of the Lions for another game Friday, April 5.
