Kingwood Mustangs 4, Clear Springs Chargers 0  - May 18, 2023 @ The Hill (Barbers Hill)

Kingwood and Clear Springs started round three on a warm Thursday night at a neutral site in Barbers Hill.  The Mustangs sent Josh Pelfrey to the mound while the Chargers countered with AJ Ryan.

While the fans were being warned by the home plate umpire first for having a blow horn and then threatened with an ejection for having cowbells, the Mustangs bats started slowly in the top of the first .  Two strikeouts and a bouncer that the catcher was able to throw the runner out at first on retired the side in order.  The Chargers lead off reached on a line drive single to center but a ground ball to Braelon Richardson at short, a flip to Caden Wellmann at second and a throw to Sammy Soto at first quickly erased the baserunners with a double play.  A double off the left field wall ended up being stranded there on a grounder to Wellmann to end the first scoreless.

After another strikeout to open the second, Kingwood got their first base runner when Braden Fuentes hit a sharp ground ball beyond a diving third baseman.  He moved to second when Ty Boatright was hit by a pitch, putting two Mustangs on with only one out.  Soto walked to load the bases before a grounder to third by Liam O'Leary plated Fuentes as the first run of the game.  A second groundout to third closed out the frame with Kingwood clinging to a 1-0 lead.  Pelfrey recorded his first strikeout to start the second, got a fly ball to left and then a deep fly ball that Boatright made a nice running catch on to complete the three up, three down.

The team had two quick outs before Wellmann walked.  Josh Arquette then crushed a ball to left centerfield for a two run home run, increasing the Mustangs lead to 3-0.  Pelfrey breezed through the bottom half with a foul pop to Arquette and two more strikeouts.

Boatright led off the fourth with a walk and moved to second on a wild pitch but was stranded there as the next three hitters were retired.  The only blemish in the bottom of the fourth for Pelfrey was an infield single to third that bounced high off the plate leaving Arquette with no play.  A groundout to third close out the frame though and kept Kingwood up 3-0.

Richardson reached on a swinging strikeout that got by the catcher but was picked off first base as the squad was retired in order.  In the fifth, after a groundout to Wellmann at second and another Pelfrey strikeout, the Chargers loaded the bases on three consecutive walks.  With no one warming up in the pen, Pelfrey was on his own.  Up to the task, he struck out the final hitter to preserve the shutout.

The Mustangs only managed a Boatright infield single to deep short in the top of the sixth, still holding on to a three run lead at 3-0.  A pop to second, a groundout to Wellmann at second and a strikeout made quick work of the Chargers, moving the game into the seventh.

Clear Springs made a pitching change to open the inning, going with Luke Watkins.  Watkins immediately walked O'Leary, who was replaced by courtesy runner Dylan Key.  Caden Callaway's sac bunt to the pitcher moved Key up ninety feet.  Brian Schumacher's infield single to second put runners on the corners with only one out.  Bryce Baker entered as a pinch runner for Schumacher and moved to second on Richardson's walk to load the bases.  Another  Clear Springs pitching change brought Hunter Heath into the game.  Wellmann's ground ball up the middle allowed Key to score the Mustangs fourth run of the evening at the throw to first was deemed just late to prevent the double play.  Arquette walked to again load the bases but the side was retired when Fuentes hit a missile right at the left fielder.  Pelfrey and the Mustangs needed just three outs to jump out to a 1-0 lead in the series.  Knowing that seemed to push Pelfrey as he struck out the lead hitter swinging, induced a pop up to Richardson at short and caught the last hitter looking for another strikeout, finishing off the complete game shutout in a 4-0 win.

With the victory, Pelfrey recorded eight strikeouts in his 7 innings.

The Mustangs have  now won 17 straight games and 21 of their last 22 overall. 

The third round continues tomorrow night at 7pm with the game again being held in Barbers Hill.

Kingwood Mustangs
Overall record:   27-7-3
District record:   13-1
Playoff record:       5-0