This past week couldn’t have provided a more accurate snapshot to explain why the Amarillo High Sandies became the first team to clinch a playoff spot out of District 3-5A.
With a potential playoff berth on the line, Amarillo High entered a challenging week in first place in the district with plenty of obstacles which could prevent the Sandies from keeping it. By early Saturday afternoon, everybody else in the district knew why they were looking up at the Sandies.
Only 14 hours after clinching a playoff berth with a rather improbable 2-0 win over crosstown rival Tascosa at Hodgetown on Friday night, Amarillo High hosted Lubbock Monterey at Sandie Field in clash between two of the district’s leading contenders. In another win which stretched credulity, the Sandies bounced back from an early deficit, closing the game with seven unanswered runs to hold on for a 7-5 victory and strengthen their grip on the rest of the district.
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The goal now for Amarillo High (26-3, 12-1 in district) is getting ready for the postseason, and the last two games in particular show the Sandies look ready for it.
“We could have jumped out early and taken a little bit of the stress out, but you’re talking about getting ready for the playoffs and we need to be tested and see how we react to tough situations,” AHS coach Randon Johnson said. “This team has just answered the bell every time and it’s fun to see.”
One day after beating Tascosa despite getting only two hits. the Sandies looked as if they might have been suffering from a hangover against Monterey (16-11-1, 8-3) in a game which was moved up two hours into late morning due to expected inclement weather. Monterey jumped on Amarillo High starter Taegen Tate for a 3-0 lead, with Lincoln Lamm’s two-run double capping the inning.
It seemed like the perfect script for a comedown after scoring a tense win over their most traditional rival which clinched a playoff spot for the Sandies. Monterey also has realistic playoff aspirations, and Amarillo High had to rise to the occasion.
“It says a lot about this team,” Johnson said. “You don’t get to 26 wins out of 29 games without having a lot of different guys come in and do a lot of different things. Today’s a great example of that.”
The Plainsmen got two more runs off Tate in the top of the second to go up 5-0, but they got nothing else after that. Amarillo High got on the board in the bottom of the inning against Monterey starter Grayson Almarez on Goldyn Howell’s sacrifice fly and Tate’s RBI double to cut it to 5-2.
It was the last two innings, though, which encapsulated the week, and maybe the season for the Sandies. They mounted a two-out rally in the fifth when Jayden Cedillo (who threw a four-hit shutout the night before) doubled and eventually scored on Howell’s single. Tate Blackwell’s two-run single to left center tied it 5-5 and Almarez was knocked off the mound before the end of the inning.
The Sandies brought the top of the lineup to start the bottom of the sixth, but playing a weather-related hunch, Johnson opted to pinch hit for leadoff hitter Jimmy Escajeda, who’d gone hitless in his previous three at-bats, with Xander Plowman, a lefthander. Plowman rewarded the decision by tripling to right field off Monterey reliever Jamiah Martinez.
“We tried to pump as many lefties as we could into the lineup,” Johnson said. “I’m watching the meteorologist with what he was going to say and they said the wind would be blowing out to right all day long out of the southwest. It was hit or miss and I felt like getting a quality left-handed batter in there in a big situation gave us a chance. That was a big spot.”
One out later, Plowman came home with what proved to be the winning run when another lefty, Austin Sluder, poked a single to right. Cedillo’s single up the middle then knocked out Martinez, who was relieved by Noe Olivarez.
Ian Herrick walked on four pitches, then one out later, Blackwell worked another strone at-bat, drawing a full-count bases loaded walk to bring home an insurance run and a 7-5 lead.
Blackwell would also figure on the mound in the seventh, as Tate reached the 110-pitch limit and was pulled with one out after walking a batter. Blackwell relieved to face the tying run, and he struck out both Almarez and Dylan Quigley looking to earn the save.
It was an appropriate way to end the week in which solid pitching kept the Sandies afloat in their last two games. Tate gutted out a win despite giving up 10 hits, as he struck out eight.
“I have a lot of trust in the guys who start the game for us,” Johnson said. “Sometimes you come out and Mother Nature’s out there pushing that ball around and you really get punished when you leave it up. We had a great pitching performance followed by a good pitching performance with the wind blowing out. The thing with Taegen is how he righted the ship and showed a lot to be able to come back from that.”
While Friday’s win over Tascosa was competitive and tense throughout, the Sandies didn’t seem like they were in trouble, despite the fact the Rebels out hit them 4-2. Amarillo’s runs came in the bottom of the third, naturally with a two out rally against Tascosa starter Zayden Brewer.
Sluder singled to right to drove home Oliver Parsons, then Brewer issued back-to-back walks to Cedillo and Ian Herrick to force home the second run.
That was more than enough for Cedillo, who wasn’t overpowering but was highly efficient, throwing only 82 pitches in a complete game victory. Only once did Tascosa get a runner to third base.
The Rebels had a chance in the seventh when James Naylor reached on a one-out single to bring the tying run to the plate. However, Cedillos truck out Cais Fain and got David Garden to ground into a force play to end the game.
In the first meeting of the week between the two teams at Tascosa, Amarillo High fell behind early but came back for an 8-6 victory.
District 3-5A
Tuesday’s scores
Amarillo High 8, Tascosa 6
Palo Duro 12, Caprock 2
Plainview 6, Lubbock Coronado 5
Lubbock Cooper 10, Lubbock High 1
Friday’s scores
Amarillo High 2, Tascosa 0
Palo Duro 9. Caprock 2
Coronado 6, Plainview 1
Cooper 13, Lubbock High 0