It
was mostly smooth sailing for District 25-6A’s Lake Travis and Westlake
during a pair of best-of-three area round playoff series this past
weekend.
The
district champion Cavaliers (31-3), currently ranked fifth in Class 6A
by the Texas High School Baseball Coaches Association, swept San Antonio
Brandeis by respective scores of 8-2 and 5-1, while the Chaparrals
(29-6-1) defeated South San Antonio 11-0 and 8-7.
In
Lake Travis’ opener on Friday, the Cavs plated seven runs in the bottom
of the fourth to erase a 2-0 deficit. Lake Travis outhit the Broncos
11-5 and saw Kyle Boyer go 2 for 3 with a double and two RBIs, while
Jack Lopez and Braden Olsen were each 2 for 4. Leadoff man Brett Baty
finished 1 for 2 with a double and two RBIs.
Storm Hierholzer worked a complete game in the opener and held Brandeis to a pair of runs on five hits while striking out five.
The
Cavaliers secured the sweep on Saturday after taking advantage of three
Bronco errors and riding the 11-strikeout performance of Baty from the
mound. The Longhorn signee allowed one run on three hits in the contest.
Jack Jalufka was 1 for 3 with a double and two RBIs, and the duo of Aidan Babinski and Austin Plante also drove in a run.
Lake Travis will now face San Antonio Johnson in the regional quarterfinals.
It
was a tale of two very different games for Westlake, which slammed
South San 11-1 in five innings in Game 1 before using a walk-off in Game
2 to prevail in 12 innings.
Leo
Lowin clinched a series sweep on Friday by smacking a double to left
field to drive in teammate Austin Schmidt from second. The extra-base
knock capped a huge rally from the Chaps, who plated seven runs in the
bottom of the sixth to come all the way back from a 7-0 hole.
The
big inning included two-RBI base hits by Ford Elliott and Taylor
Anderson in addition to RBI singles from Grey Harrison and Elliot
Schwarzbach and a South San error.
Dylan
Savino picked up the win in relief after tossing six scoreless innings
and holding South San to just one hit while striking out eight.
In
Thursday’s opener, shortstop Peyton Sanderson went 3 for 4 with two
home runs and five RBIs. Lowin went 2 for 3 with a home run, a double
and three runs driven in. Harrison was the winning pitcher in Game 1
after surrendering one unearned run on three hits and striking out five
batters.
The Chaps are now slated to face No. 2-ranked San Antonio Reagan in the third round of the 6A postseason.