AUSTIN, Tx — The Calallen Wildcats (31-10-1) are going back to the UIL 4A State Championship for the first time in 13 years after holding off Spring Hill 3-2 in the UIL 4A State Semifinals. The game went eight innings.
Calallen's Tress Vasquez got things going in the first inning with an RBI triple. Good defense held off Spring Hill until the fourth inning when Mason Barnes hit an RBI double.
Calallen responded in the sixth inning when Drayson Gamez hit an RBI single, and that wasn't the last time he made a play. After Spring Hill tied it up in the seventh inning, sending it to extras, Gamez reached first on an error bringing home Drayton Mitchell for the game winning run.
"It's a great feeling," Gamez said. "I just want to go out there and get them a State Championship. We got to go out there and have good quality at-bats like Coach (Joe) Lopez always says and that's what we did and got the job done."
"Well you know that last at-bat he had he was down 1 ball 2 strikes in the count," Steve Chapman, Calallen head coach, said. "He fought off a pitch and hit it into left field which was perfect. Then we got the bunt down and everything worked out for us from there."
Wildcats starting pitcher Coll Carroll lasted 6.1 innings, dealing 3 strikeouts while allowing 6 hits, 2 runs and 4 walks. Cody Andrade closed the game for 1.2 innings. He struckout 2 and only allowed 1 hit.
"I was just telling myself that we need to be a team, work together, throw strikes and hit my spots," Carroll said. "It means a lot. I dreamed all the time as a kid, and I'll enjoy it."
The State Championship is set for Thursday at 6:30 p.m. against Texarkana Liberty-Eylau at UT Austin.
