Four Scots named to all-tournament team; district schedule resumes Friday
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Highland Park’s pitching depth carried
a big load in last weekend’s tournament. Jonathan Perlman
started on the mound in Saturday’s semifinal against
Rowlett, and gave up only two hits over his final five
innings in the Scots’ 5-3 win.
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By
Scott Farrell
Sports Editor
Photos: Jeff Etessam
Highland Park set the tone for the remainder of its baseball season
by winning its own Scotland Yard Classic last weekend. The Scots
(14-4, 1-0) went 4-1 against some of the top Class 5A programs in
the area, and won the tournament they founded for the second time in
the last six years.
Rain and lightning in the area postponed Tuesday’s district clash with Mesquite Poteet a day. Those two battled for the early district lead Wednesday night.
Timely hitting and strong pitching carried the Scots in the tournament final against Grapevine. It took extra innings for HP to earn the 3-2 win on Mason Woodley’s RBI single that scored Seth Gardner in the bottom of the eighth. Gardner, who led the inning off with a single and moved to second on a walk to Will Russell, got under the tag in a close play at the plate.
Sophomore pitcher Crayton Bare shut down Grapevine from the mound in the early going, not allowing a run and only two hits through 5 1/3 innings. Joey Hainsfurther came on in relief in the sixth, getting the Scots out of trouble and then hurling two scoreless innings.
The Scots opened pool play last Thursday by smashing Carrollton Turner, 10-1, and Sachse, 9-3. Taylor Lee pitched four innings to earn the win against Turner, and John Melson threw the rest of the way. Hains-further and Wes Van Dyk hit home runs, and Russell, Sam Davidson, and Hainsfurther each had doubles in the runaway win.
Travis Jones carried the Scots on the mound against Sachse, pitching a complete-game three-hitter. Hainsfurther was the catalyst at the plate again, with two doubles among a 3-for-4 day. Russell and Andrew Scates added doubles, and Nick Flabiano (2-for-3) and Woodley (3-for-4) also had big days at the plate.
Keller found HP’s number in Friday’s single game, winning 10-7 to
place first in the Scots’ pool.
Josh Volk pitched into the sixth inning, but as the strike zone shrunk Keller was able to get three runs across in the final two innings. The Scots rallied for four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning, but couldn’t make up the difference.
Woodley hit a home run in the first inning, and Gardner was 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI. Hainsfurther continued his torrid hitting streak with a 3-for-4 day.
HP topped Rowlett in Saturday’s semifinals, beating the Gold Division winner behind a six-inning stay on the mound from Jonathan Perlman. The junior recovered from a rocky start to give up only two hits in his final five innings. Hainsfurther took out the side in the seventh for the save.
The Scots wasted no time getting started at the plate, scoring five runs on an RBI double by Flabiano, an RBI base hit from Gardner, and Bare’s three-run home run.
Bare, Gardner, Hainsfurther, and Scates each made the all-tournament team.
HP continues facing the meat of its district schedule in its next three games, hosting Rockwall-Heath at 7:30 p.m. Friday, followed by games at Richardson Pearce (7:30 p.m. Tuesday) and at Forney (7:30 p.m. March 23).
The Scots’ annual trek out to Ameriquest Field in Arlington happens Sat., March 24, in a 6 p.m. non-district game against Colleyville Heritage. Ticket purchases can be made through the district ticket office.
Sports Editor
Photos: Jeff Etessam
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| Crayton Bare put the Scots in position to win last week’s Scotland Yard Classic, giving up only two hits through five innings after starting against Grapevine. A run in the eighth inning gave Highland Park a 3-2 win and the tournament title. |
Rain and lightning in the area postponed Tuesday’s district clash with Mesquite Poteet a day. Those two battled for the early district lead Wednesday night.
Timely hitting and strong pitching carried the Scots in the tournament final against Grapevine. It took extra innings for HP to earn the 3-2 win on Mason Woodley’s RBI single that scored Seth Gardner in the bottom of the eighth. Gardner, who led the inning off with a single and moved to second on a walk to Will Russell, got under the tag in a close play at the plate.
Sophomore pitcher Crayton Bare shut down Grapevine from the mound in the early going, not allowing a run and only two hits through 5 1/3 innings. Joey Hainsfurther came on in relief in the sixth, getting the Scots out of trouble and then hurling two scoreless innings.
The Scots opened pool play last Thursday by smashing Carrollton Turner, 10-1, and Sachse, 9-3. Taylor Lee pitched four innings to earn the win against Turner, and John Melson threw the rest of the way. Hains-further and Wes Van Dyk hit home runs, and Russell, Sam Davidson, and Hainsfurther each had doubles in the runaway win.
Travis Jones carried the Scots on the mound against Sachse, pitching a complete-game three-hitter. Hainsfurther was the catalyst at the plate again, with two doubles among a 3-for-4 day. Russell and Andrew Scates added doubles, and Nick Flabiano (2-for-3) and Woodley (3-for-4) also had big days at the plate.
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| Andre Scates’ hitting earned him a spot on the Scotland Yard All-Tournament team last week. He is shown here rounding third on a home run trot in an earlier game against Fort Worth Nolan. |
Josh Volk pitched into the sixth inning, but as the strike zone shrunk Keller was able to get three runs across in the final two innings. The Scots rallied for four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning, but couldn’t make up the difference.
Woodley hit a home run in the first inning, and Gardner was 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI. Hainsfurther continued his torrid hitting streak with a 3-for-4 day.
HP topped Rowlett in Saturday’s semifinals, beating the Gold Division winner behind a six-inning stay on the mound from Jonathan Perlman. The junior recovered from a rocky start to give up only two hits in his final five innings. Hainsfurther took out the side in the seventh for the save.
The Scots wasted no time getting started at the plate, scoring five runs on an RBI double by Flabiano, an RBI base hit from Gardner, and Bare’s three-run home run.
Bare, Gardner, Hainsfurther, and Scates each made the all-tournament team.
HP continues facing the meat of its district schedule in its next three games, hosting Rockwall-Heath at 7:30 p.m. Friday, followed by games at Richardson Pearce (7:30 p.m. Tuesday) and at Forney (7:30 p.m. March 23).
The Scots’ annual trek out to Ameriquest Field in Arlington happens Sat., March 24, in a 6 p.m. non-district game against Colleyville Heritage. Ticket purchases can be made through the district ticket office.
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| Highland Park baseball captains Nick Flabiano, left, and Will Russell have led the Scots to a 14-4 record midway through the season. |