Tuesday night, March 2, 2004, the Kingwood Mustangs took on the Sam Rayburn Texans in what would be another hard fought contest.

Kingwood would use 5 pitchers in order to conserve arms for the Thursday-Saturday three game tournament the Houston Astros Minute Maid Park. For the Mustangs, Daniel Edwards pitched the 1^st inning giving up one run on one hit. Zach Tumlinson came on in the 2^nd inning giving up one hit and striking out three batters. Following Tumlinson, Blake Steil came in to pitch the 3^rd, 4^th, and 5^th innings where he gave up three hits and two runs.

Outstanding defense was supplied by Andrew Brooks, who continues to handle the Mustangs pitching staff well as he gunned down a stealing Texan to end the 4^th inning. To date, three runners have attempted to steal with Brooks behind the plate and he has thrown out two of them. Steil also got good defense support in the 5^th inning as a ground ball hit to third baseman, Greg Gossett, was turned into a 5-4-3 (Gossett – second baseman, Josh Fountain to first baseman, Austin Wood double play). Jimmy Jordan came on to pitch the 6^th inning for the Mustangs going 3 up and 3 down with one strikeout. Jonathan Beaty came on to close out the 7^th inning 3 up and 3 down with two strike outs.

On the attack, Kingwood would score the Mustangs lone run in the 1^st inning despite numerous chances to come later. In the 1^st inning, Josh Fountain, Kingwood’s second baseman, started the Mustangs with a base hit to left field and then moved to second on a wild pitch. From there he was singled home by right fielder, Doug Simmons.

A lost opportunity for the Mustangs to score came in the 4^th inning when shortstop, Johnny Whittleman, singled and stole second but could not advance from there despite having only one out.

In the 5^th inning, third baseman, Greg Gossett, with one out hit a 3-2 fastball off the right field fence that bounced directly to the right fielder and resulted in a single for Gossett. Gossett went to 3rd on doubled by catcher Andrew Brooks. With Mustang runners on 2^nd and 3^rd with one out, Sam Rayburn retired the next two Kingwood batters with a strikeout and a fly ball out to end the inning.

Kingwood would threaten again in the 6^th inning. Whittleman singled with one out; Doug Simmons hit into a fielders choice retiring Whittleman; and leftfielder Austin Pendleton would go all the way to 2^nd and Simmons to 3^rd when the Sam Rayburn catcher dropped a 3^rd strike and overthrew first base. Sam Rayburn once again retired the final batter of the inning stranding two more Kingwood runners.

Kingwood got the Mustangs final chance in the bottom of the 7^th inning when Gossett led off with a double to the fence in the right centerfield gap. Gossett moved to third on a ground out by Brooks and remained there as the next two Mustangs struck out. Despite having runners in scoring position in each of the last 4 innings, Kingwood lost a close game 3-1.

Offensively, Gossett was 2-3 with a double. Whittleman was 2-3 with a stolen base. Simmons was 1-3 with an RBI. Fountain was 1-3 with a run scored. Catcher Andrew Brooks was 1-3 with a double.