Rogers gave New Waverly all the chances it needed to get back in the game, and the Bulldogs certainly obliged.
New Waverly’s Matt Gray hit a game-winning two-run double in the bottom of the seventh inning to help the Bulldogs rally for a 6-5 win in Game 1 of a best-of-three bi-district series Friday night at Hornet Field.
Game 2 is at noon today in Caldwell. If necessary, Game 3 will begin 30 minutes following the end of the second game.
“What we’re going to have to do is find some excitement and bring some competitiveness to (today’s) game,” said Rogers coach Craig Coheley, whose 2007 team was 36-2 and didn’t lose to a 2A foe. “They don’t care what we did last year. They’re ready to finish us off if we don’t come and give a good shot.”
And unless the Eagles can find a way to cut down on those mistakes, the Bulldogs just might bounce the reigning state champs.
After a strong start in the first four innings, the young Eagles (22-8) struggled to close out the game.
The Eagles took a 3-1 lead into the bottom of the fifth after back-to-back RBI hits by Greg Mendoza and Cameron Doskocil.
But Rogers promptly let New Waverly (19-5) back into the game in a disastrous bottom of the fifth.
Rogers starting pitcher Chance Marek walked the first batter, then after a pair of balls to the next batter was replaced by relief specialist Mendoza.
Marek allowed two hits, walked two and gave up two runs - one earned - in four innings.
The usually strong Mendoza gave up a walk and a bunt single to load the bases. A wild pitch and a two-run double to left field by catcher Gary Bielamowicz gave New Waverly its first lead at 4-3.
Mendoza lasted just two more pitches before he was replaced by Travis Perkins, who was scheduled to start Game 2. Perkins got a strikeout to end the inning and avoid further damage.
Perkins has been scratched from his Game 2 start and will be replaced by original Game 3 starter Dylan Kuehn.
Mendoza, who came in with a team-best 0.68 earned-run average, gave up two runs and walked three in two-thirds of an inning.
“Both times we had the lead, in the bottom of the next inning we went out and walked people,” Coheley said. “You can’t do that to them. They’ve got team speed, a good lineup at the top that can hit the ball. You have to get ahead of those guys and make them hit your pitches. And that’s exactly what we did not do.”
Rogers looked like it was poised to rally in the sixth, with runners on second and third with one out.
The Eagles didn’t have much trouble getting on base against New Waverly ace Ryan Reyes. He allowed the leadoff batter to reach base in each of the final six innings but managed to wiggle out of jams all evening.
He did just that in the sixth, getting a strikeout and groundout to end the inning. The Eagles stranded six runners in the final three innings.
“We’ve got to have somebody besides Doskocil ante up with runners in scoring position,” Coheley said. “We need some key hits. You can’t strand runners. You’ve got to hit in the clutch.”
Rogers got a few key hits in a wild seventh, still trailing 4-3.
With the bases loaded, designated hitter Stephen Hines hit a grounder to third baseman Gray, who tagged the bag to record an out. But the throw to first to get Hines sailed high, scoring Perkins, who had walked, from second.
After first baseman Tate Maddox finally corralled the ball, his throw to third to tag out Marek, who reached on a fielder’s choice, landed in the Bulldogs’ dugout. Marek was awarded home plate, giving the Eagles a 5-4 lead.
But two more mistakes - a dropped third strike and the sixth walk - gave New Waverly new life when Gray reached the plate and recorded his winning hit.
“We’ll be fine. We’ve just got to come (today) with our backs against the wall and rise up,” Coheley said. “Competitors rise to the occasion."
rschneider@temple-telegram.com
