Two victories in the Navarro Invitational Tournament Feb 25 through Saturday gave the Lago Vista varsity baseball team a third place finish and equaled the win total of last year’s team in the first test of the season.
The Vikings jumped out to an early lead against the Poth Pirates in the opening game and continued to put the pressure on as they added runs in every frame before dispatching their opponent 13-2 and moving into the consolation game against Lockhart.
The momentum of opening the season with a victory for the first time in three years couldn’t be sustained as the Vikings fell to the Johnson City Eagles 8-1 and relegated to the loser’s bracket to face Lockhart.
“It was great to start our season with a win. We have been working hard to turn around a team that reached the win column only twice last year,” said coach B.J. Hill. “We started off the game well by jumping on them early and our pitching was effective to hold them to two runs all game. This game gave us the confidence we needed.”
Johnson City returned a team that went deep into the 2A tournament last year. The Eagles’ game plan of working the count and advancing runners at every opportunity proved to be the downfall of the Vikings.
Staked to an early 7-0 lead, the Eagles pitchers held Lago scoreless until the seventh inning when Dakota Haines drove a 2-2 count ball over the center field wall to plate the only run of the ball game for the Vikings. In the end, the Eagles’ pitching prowess proved to be too much for the Vikings as it held Lago to two hits for the entire game.
“Johnson City proved that it belongs where they were all of last year and that it is tops in the standings,” Hill said. “We got shut down by the ace of their staff as he had total command of his pitches and put on a clinic that kept our hitters guessing all game long.”
In the consolation game, the Vikings fared much better against the Lockhart Lions as it jumped out to an early 2-0 in the first inning after a double by Shane Young plated Alex Kelso and Dylan Haines who reached base on two infield singles. Two RBIs by C.J. Jacque and two more by Young gave the Vikes a comfortable 8-2 lead and holding on for an 8-5 victory.
The Lions managed to capitalize on three fielding errors by the Vikings in the seventh to plate four runners but were unable to secure a comeback when Lago pitcher Trey Wilson—coming on in relief for winning pitcher Brady Crenwelge—struck out the final two batters to end the game.
“We managed to get ourselves out of many jams all night long,” Hill said. “The team hit the ball well, and, although we struggled defensively at times, we managed to make the right play at the right time to preserve the win. The team is adjusting to new situations and adapting to overcome.”
Lago Vista will look to improve on its most recent success as it hits the road for the Lampasas Invitational Tournament today through Saturday. The team will need to continue to perform in pressure situations that present themselves in tournaments like these if they hope to progress up the charts in district play.
“These tournaments really help us build confidence and raise our game to another level,” Hill said. “Facing quality teams gives us an opportunity to improve.”
Young and Dakota Haines were both selected to the all-tournament team as Young finished the weekend 5-9 at the plate with 6 RBIs and a pitching victory while teammate Dakota Haines went 3-10 with a home run and two stolen bases. After this weekend’s visit to Lampasas, the team will return home on Tuesday to host Salado in both team’s district opener.