On a quest for the 15-5A district title, TWHS sophomores
needed both to shut down Klein Forest’s sticks and to score early in the contest and put the Eagles in a chase mode throughout the game.
The Highlanders got both wishes granted in a 9-0 blanking of
the Eagles as Kyle Drabek threw a complete game one-hitter while the sophs’
bats put four on the board in their first at-bat.
Derek Smith reached base on a lead off walk, stole second and
advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Robbie Ray. After Drabek was hit by a
pitch, Ross Watson and Paul Goldschmidt singled to drive in Smith and Drabek.
After a Chris Frey fielder’s choice, Steven Maxwell and Charlie Marling singled
to drive in two more runs and pad the lead 4-0.
Drabek settled down after a rough bottom half of the first
and faced the minimum in the next five innings striking out five Eagle hitters.
While he was twirling a shutout, the Highlanders scored five more times.
In the fourth, Maxwell led off with a double and scored two
batters later when Josh Bickle crushed one over the right field fence
increasing the lead to 6-0.
In the fifth, Marling drove in Frey who had reached base on a
walk. Smith led off the sixth with a base hit and scored on a Drabek single,
and in the Highlanders last at-bat, Bickle drove in Maxwell to seal the deal
9-0.
The win lifted the sophs’ district record to 11-2 and 14-3
for the season.
By Alan
Smith