Sports Texoma

No one would've blamed the Sherman and Denison baseball teams for coming out flat on Friday after having what amounted to a two-week vacation, but the visiting Bearcats still found a way to come out strong.

Both teams had five hits and committed only one error in the field, but eighth-ranked Sherman took advantage of six walks and three hit batters en route to a 9-3 win in Denison.

Five different Bearcats had hits for the team's sixth straight win in the series, as all three starting pitchers saw action. 

“I didn’t think we were very sharp, but getting 11 wins in this district is something to be pretty proud of,” Sherman coach Gary Cosper said. “The kids are looking forward to next week and participating in the playoffs.”

The Bearcats (24-4-1, 11-3 District 9-4A) will face Carrollton Newman Smith in the bi-district round beginning at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday at Carrollton’s Kelly Field. Game 2 is at 7:30 p.m. on Friday at Veterans Field with Game 3 slated for 7:30 p.m. on Saturday at Lake Dallas if necessary.

The Bearcats finished in second place, one game behind McKinney, who beat Sherman on its own field two weeks ago and finished the regular season with a victory against Frisco Liberty.

Austen Blalock (6-0) remained undefeated in 2009 and continued his strong second half for Sherman. The senior allowed only one hit and walked one while striking out five in three innings.

Opposing starter Jackson Wells retired the first two batters with ease, and what seemed like a harmless walk to Garrett Powell turned into a 2-0 deficit after Madison Carter drove a 1-1 curveball over the left-field wall.

Wells, who lost his fourth straight game against the Bearcats, struggled with his control in the second inning after walking Dillon Coffman, hitting freshman catcher Gus Daniel and Geoff Hooker with pitches and walking Tyler Liss to force home a run. He got himself out of any further trouble by picking off Hooker at second base to end the inning.

Denison (5-16, 0-14) used the running game to its advantage after Justin Stowers walked, moved to second on Robert Rosser's infield hit and scored after stealing third and scampering home after Daniel's throw went into left field.

Sherman got the run back in the third after Carter was hit on the shoulder, stole his third base of the season and scored on Blalock's run-scoring hit for his team-leading 30th RBI. Blalock retired the final five batters he faced.

“I thought Austen did a good job for us and wouldn't have minded leaving him out there,” Cosper said. “We needed to get our top three pitchers involved since they haven't played in so long.”

Hooker singled in the fourth, stole second and scored on Liss' RBI ground out after moving to third on a passed ball. John Welborn walked and scored on Powell's double.

Liss entered in relief and accomplished the rare feat of striking out four batters in an inning after Jordan Taylor reached on a wild pitch. The sophomore left hander finished with five strikeouts but did walk two batters and hit another.

Coffman singled between a pair of walks to Blalock and Daniel to load the bases in the fifth inning. Denison relief pitcher Nick Buckner snared a line drive off Hooker's bat, but his throw to first eluded first baseman Rosser, who was injured on the play.

Pinch runner Robert McBride and Coffman scored on the play, and Robert Fallon later scored when Trey Hudgins drew a bases-loaded walk.

Powell pitched the final two innings for the Bearcats, walking one and striking out three, but the junior allowed three doubles in the seventh to Tyler Jennings, Evan Ramsey and Wells. Ramsey's hit in his final at-bat broke the Yellow Jackets all-time mark for career hits with 92.

Buckner settled down to retire nine of the final 10 batters he faced, but the damage was already done.

“You never know who’s going to be the hero in this game when these two teams play,” Cosper said.