Jackets sweep past Burkburnett to begin playoffs

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Several members of the Stephenville baseball team, shown above following a bi-district playoff win, will be in action with the Texas Clutch this weekend. || Courtesy PAM JONES

FLASH STAFF REPORT

TheFlashToday.com

(May 7, 2016) — Sam Weber has a bright future planned, beginning with majoring in aerospace engineering at the University of Texas.

But that’s the future.

In the present, Weber is doing everything he can to keep alive his high school baseball career at Stephenville.

The senior second baseman had four hits and drove in six runs while sophomore Easton Jones drove in a couple runs and worked 2-1/3 innings of perfect relief to lead the Yellow Jackets to a two-game Region I-4A bi-district sweep of Burkburnett Friday at Jacksboro High School.


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Stephenville won 7-2 and 9-7 in a series that doubleheader that featured 25 hits and 13 errors and left no need for a return trip to Jacksboro for a third game on Saturday. Instead, the Jackets prepare to face Decatur or Kennedale in the area round next week. Decatur won on Friday with games two and three set for Saturday.

Stephenville also picked up strong starting pitching from Caleb Gibbons, the game one winner after allowing just two runs on three hits while striking out seven in six innings, and Cole Harmon, who did not allow an earned run but yielded seven unearned scores as the defense faltered at times with four errors.

Morrison was solid in one inning of relief with no save on the line in game one, allowing a hit and a walk, but striking out a batter and getting out of the inning unscathed.

But Jones was the key reliever on the night. Harmon battled around the errors, scattering nine hits and a walk along with four strikeouts, much of the damage coming when Stephenville should have already been out of the field and getting ready to bat.

When Jones came in, the defense improved and Burkburnett never had a chance. Jones got Stephenville out of the fifth with a strikeout, fanned two of three batters in the sixth then sat down the leadoff batter in the seventh on strikes.

All this after Stephenville scored three unearned runs in the top of the sixth to re-take the lead, after surrendering it by yielding five unearned runs in the bottom of the fifth.

A wild pitch with a runner at third, a Seth Heupel walk with the bases loaded and a Weber hit by pitch with the bases still juiced made the difference, pushing Stephenville ahead 9-7.

Burkburnett had just grabbed a 7-6 lead, scoring directly off errors twice, once off a fielder’s choice, and then, when the inning should have been complete, ripping a two-run double to jump ahead.

Stephenville had controlled the early going of game two, thanks largely to Weber. The senior went 2-for-4 with 4 RBI in game two, including a two-run single to make it 6-2 in the top of the fifth. He also had an RBI single in the fourth that made it 4-0.


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Jones drove in the first two runs with a single off the Burkburnett pitcher in the top of the send and a sacrifice fly in the top of the fourth. A double steal made it 3-0 in the same inning before Weber stepped up.

Jones was also strong from the plate in the opener, using a 2-run single to jumpstart the series sweep in the bottom of the second. Weber belted a two-out double to bring in two runs for a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth.

Burkburnett led off the fifth with a solo home run and scored again in the inning to get back into it, but just like in game two, the sixth inning proved to be the Bulldogs’ undoing.  Stephenville scored on a balk then made it 6-2 when the Burkburnett pitcher couldn’t haul in a pop fly. A single by freshman catcher Cody Storrs brought in the final run.

Note: Information from the KSTV 93.1 FM radio broadcast, play-by-play/analyst Boots Elliott, was used in this report.

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