An early district meeting between fairly new, yet intense local rivals didn’t score real heavy in terms of artistry or even what ended up on the scoreboard Tuesday afternoon.
The Canyon Eagles, however, found it beautifully satisfying.
Canyon visited fellow Canyon ISD fourth-year school West Plains in a clash of teams with something to prove. In the end, it was proven in a game which was neither a slugfest nor a pitchers’ duel, as the Eagles held on over the last three tense innings for s 4-3 victory which knocked West Plains from the ranks of the District 4-4A unbeatens.
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When it was said and done, Canyon (14-6-1, 4-1 in district) and West Plains (15-6, 4-1) were in a three-way tie with Hereford for the 4-4A lead after Hereford pulled off a somewhat surprising 5-3 win at home over another CISD school, Randall.
The three CISD teams have taken turns beating each other so far in the first half of district play. Canyon, though, became the first one of those teams to pull ofd a district win this season at another CISD school’s field.
“I thought we didn’t play well early,” Canyon coach Jed Anderson said. “I felt we pitched well the entire game. We had some chances to score which we didn’t do and we didn’t make some routine plays but it’s always good to win.”
It came down to a test of wills between teams in a game where they bpth put runners on base but couldn’t get anybody across regularly. In fact, nobody got a runner to third base in the last three innings.
West Plains in particular struggled at the plate after the early going, not getting a runner past second after taking a 3-0 lead in the second inning. It seemed apporpriate that the game ended with the Wolves grounding into a double play to end the seventh.
The Wolves started the game as if they were going to make a statement about who was the district leader in no uncertain terms. They put the first two batters on base in the bottom of the first against Canyon starter Bayler Schilling and converted that opportunity on a two-run single by Elijah Vasquez.
West Plains then added to that with two outs in the second when Jesse Flores walked and scored on a base hit by Noah Vasquez for an unearned run to make it 3-0. That was it for West Plains offensively, though, at least as far as scoring runs.
“We had seven hits today and that should be enough to win a ball game for us,” West Plains coach Colby Chandler said. “Tip your hat to (the Eagles) and to Bayler for doing his job on the mound and keeping them in the game.”
Schilling lasted two more innings and retired six of the last seven hitters he faced. His biggest impact in the game, though, came at the plate.
Canyon got on the board against West Plains starter Flores, as Levi Truner singled home leadoff hitter Carson Allen to make it 3-1. Allen walked three times and scored twice.
Flores retired the first two batters in the top of the fourth and looked primed to take the lead into the fifth and be in line for the win. However, he walked Noah Sanchez, giving No. 9 hitter Schilling an opportunity to make a statement.
Schilling responded by getting one of Canyon’s three hits on the day, but it was huge in every way, as he hit a Flores pitch just beyond the left-center field wall for a two-run home run which tied the game 3-3.
“I’m just up there looking to hit the ball hard and I got under that one and it flew,” Schilling said. “I feel like that works at this field. The wind helps everything at this field. We’re in the middle of nowhere and things fly.”
Canyon suddenly had the momentum, and Allen drew another walk after Schilling’s homer. Flores left with a calf injury after the at-bat, and left-hander Ethan Griffin relieved.
Andrew Bellino greeted Griffin with a single to the gap in left-center which appeared to get Allen to third. However, West Plains centerfielder Reid Macon misplayed the ball, allowing Allen to race home with the go-ahead run, and little did anyone know at that time it would decide the game.
Schilling had already gone through the West Plains lineup twice, and when the Eagles took the field for the fifth, Brixton Lindley relieved him. This came despite the fact Schilling had thrown only 76 pitches to that point.
“He pitched four and we like to talk to our pitchers and be on the same page as them and he said that he felt fine but that he was losing a little bit,” said Anderson of Schilling. “I’d rather pull him a little early than a little late.”
Schilling’s 1-2-3 fourth inning against the Wolves was the only three up, three down inning by any Canyon pitcher. Lindley gave up back-to-back one out singles in the fifth but escaped unscathed.
In the sixth, Lindley left a runner stranded after a two-out double to right by Macon. A leadoff walk in the seventh, though, put the tying run on base and placed the Eagles in their most precarious position yet.
Lindley then struck out Noah Vasquez, and got Kai Carrillo to ground to shortstop Allen, who stepped on second then threw to first to complete the double play and seal the win.
“We’ve been a pretty good duo all year,” said Lindley of himself and Schilling. “It’s awesome to throw behind a good arm like Bayler. I know (West Plains’) lineup is tough from top to bottom. I had to get some ground balls there at the end and I trust my defense and it was a good team win.”
Noah Vasquez had the most dominant relief performance of the day, though. He came on for the Wolves in the fifth and closed the game with three perfect innings, striking out the first seven batters he faced.
Tuesday’s scores
District 4-4A
Canyon 4, West Plains 3
Hereford 5, Randall 3
Pampa 8, Dumas 1
Borger 16, Perryton 7
District 3-5A
Amarillo High 8, Plainview 1
Lubbock Monterey 19, Caprock 4
Lubbock Coronado 4, Lubbock Cooper 2
District 1-3A
Bushland 13, Tulia 1
Dalhart 19, River Road 2
District 1-2A
Gruver 16, Highland Park 0
Sanford-Fritch 8, West Texas High 7 (8)