Walk off hit fuels Bobcat comeback

Kaden Price hit a walk-off three RBI single to center field for the Smyer Bobcats in a 7-6 UIL District 4-2A High School Baseball home win over the Sundown Roughnecks last Friday.

Price started on the mound for the Bobcats, working six innings with five hits, four runs, nine strikeouts and one walk.

Caleb Clausen gave up two runs and two walks in relief. Aiden Martinez closed out the final inning, striking out two and walking one to get the win.

Jaxon Rodriguez started for the Roughnecks, giving up four hits and five runs with seven strikeouts and five walks over six innings.

Hunter Tindol gave up to runs and two walks in relief.

Koy Torres finished the game, allowing one hit and taking the loss for the Roughnecks.

Smyer got on the scoreboard first with two runs in the bottom of the second inning.

Clausen opened the inning by reaching on an error by Sundown’s Jayson Martinez.

Price hit a single, advancing Clausen to second base, then Ben Steele walked to load the bases with no outs.

Brody Medart and Christian Hernandez went down swinging for two outs with the bases still loaded.

Skyler Pond walked bringing Clausen home, then a single from Austin Martinez brought Price home and kept the bases loaded.

The inning ended when Shawn Barrett hit a grounder to Rodriguez who threw him out at first base.

The Roughnecks came up in the top of the third inning trailing 2-0, but it didn’t take long for them to respond.

Rian Rose grounded out to Price, then Hunter Clark hit a single to left field.

Jaryn Flores went down swinging for the second out, but Price hit Koy Torres with a pitch to put runners on first and second with two outs.

Price walked Jeffrey Rodrigues to load the bases, bringing up Tindol. Price tried to hold Rodrigues on first, but overthrew Steele. Clark and Torres both scored, while Rodrigues advanced to third.

Tindol hit a single that brought Rodrigues home, then Rodriguez hit a strong single that brought Tindol all the way home.

Isaac Lopez struck out to end the inning with the Roughnecks leading 4-2.

Smyer made the score 4-3 in the bottom of the fourth inning.

Pond reached on a two out single, then Austin Martinez hit a double that brought Pond all the way around.

Martinez tried to go to third on an error by Tindol, but was caught by the throw from Torres to Rodriguez for the third out.

Sundown looked to have the situation well in hand after the top of the seventh inning.

The inning started with a pitching change from Smyer.

Price was at 100 pitches, so Clausen started the inning. He walked Flores and Torres before being replaced by Aiden Martinez.

Martinez walked Rodrigues, but not before Flores and Torres both advanced on a passed ball. He struck Tindol out swinging, bringing up Rodriguez, who bunted into a fielder’s choice to bring Flores and Torres home.

That brought Isaac Lopez up who ended the inning by striking out.

In the bottom of the seventh inning, Rodriguez walked Pond then Austin Martinez before the Roughnecks sent Tindol to the mound.

Tindol walked Barrett to load the bases. Pond came home on an error by Rose at catcher, cutting the Sundown lead to 6-4.

Tindol walked Aiden Martinez, prompting Sundown to put Torres on the mound.

Clausen hit into a fielder’s choice, first baseman Lopez to catcher Rose to get Austin Martinez out at home.

Price singled on a ground ball to center, bringing Barrett and Aiden Martinez home.

Flores overthrew third in an attempt to get Clausen, who came home for the winning run.

For Smyer, Aiden Martinez had a hit and an RBI. Barrett had a run. Aiden Martinez had a run. Clausen had two runs. Price had a run, three hits and two RBIs. Pond had two runs a hit and an RBI.

For Sundown, Flores had a run. Torres had two runs. Rodrigues had a run.

Tindol had a run, a hit and an RBI. Rodriguez had a hit and two RBIs. Martinez had a hit, as did Rose. Clark had scored a run and had a hit.

The Bobcats are in Post on Saturday while the Roughnecks host Tahoka. Both games start at 11 a.m.

Sundown now sits one game a head of Smyer in district.

Sundown is in third place at 4-3, while Symer moved into the fourth position at 3-4.