Mineral Wells Area News

Key district games against Brock on tap this week

By DAVID MAY | Special to Mineral Wells Area News

The Mineral Wells Rams kept their district mark unblemished with Saturday’s 5-2 win over Graham to complete a sweep of the Steers.

The Rams improved to 6-0 in District 6-4A and await a big two-game series this week against second-place Brock (4-1). Mineral Wells (15-7-1) has just four district games remaining to try and lock up a district title. A sweep of Brock would accomplish that feat.

Four Mineral Wells pitchers combined to complete the home victory in a game moved from Friday to accommodate athletes competing in the area track meet. Moving from one end of the battery to the other after the first inning, Curry Crouch collected the win, throwing 3.1 innings in relief. He allowed no runs and issued no walks. He gave up four hits while fanning three Steers hitters.

Braxton May took over catching duties and went 2-for-2 at the plate, igniting both of the Rams’ run-scoring innings.

Graham scored a single run in the top of the first. Singles in the bottom of the third by Holden Hering and Kord Henry scored three Mineral Wells runs to turn the game around. 

May led off with a single, followed by a William Hollifield walk. Hering’s bunt single resulted in an error that allowed courtesy runner Jaidun Fisher and Hollifield to score while landing Hering at second. Henry’s single into center brought Hering home for a 3-1 lead.

May got a fourth-inning rally started in the home half of the fourth with a one-out double. Inserted again as a courtesy runner, Fisher stole third before Hollifield drew his second walk. A double steal attempt resulted in Fisher called out at third, with Hollifield taking second. Hering was walked intentionally. Two miscues by Graham, one by the pitcher and another by the catcher, scored Hollifield and Hering for a 5-1 lead.

Graham loaded the bases with two outs in the fifth thanks to an error and two singles. A passed ball scored the runner from third before reliever Newt Schroeder escaped further damage with a strikeout.

In his second inning of work, Schroeder set the Steers down in order in the sixth. Hollifield took the mound for seventh inning. He induced a strikeout and a ground out before allowing consecutive walks. Third baseman Owen Gadd fielded a grounder and recorded the game’s final out.

The Rams host Brock on Tuesday before a scheduled game Friday on the Eagles’ home field. Both games are scheduled for a 7 p.m. first pitch.