Mineral Wells Area News

Mineral Wells secures second-place district finish, await playoffs

By DAVID MAY | Special to Mineral Wells Area News

BROWNWOOD – Mineral Wells ace Holden Hering carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning as the Rams concluded their regular season slate with an 8-1 win Friday at Brownwood.

Hering went five innings, striking out 11 of the 16 Lions batters he faced. He allowed only one walk and one hit and exited the mound with a 4-0 lead. He threw 63 pitches, with 45 going for strikes (71%).

The Rams secured runner-up honors in District 6-4A, going 7-3 in district while snapping a three-game skid. The Brock Eagles locked up this year’s district title.

Shortstop Kord Henry led the Rams’ offense with three RBIs and one big hit – a two-run blast in the sixth inning. Mineral Wells pounded out 11 hits, with William Hollifield, Hering and Hayes Hering each with two hits. Lions pitchers walked nine batters, with Owen Gadd accepting three of those.

A Texas Tech signee, Holden Hering fanned the first five Brownwood batters he faced. He allowed his only walk in the third. The Lions’ Wyatt Wolf broke up Hering’s no-hit bid with a fifth-inning two-out single.

Mineral Wells got on the board in the top of the third after leading off the inning with two walks and two singles. A pick off and a ground left the Rams with bases loaded and two outs. Henry walked and Hollifield was hit by a pitch, each scoring one run for a 2-0 lead.

The Rams added a run in the fourth on a Hayes Hering base knock that scored Gadd, who reached on a walk.

Hollifield singled leading off the fifth, stole second and reached third on a Braxton May sacrifice bunt. Newt Schroeder’s fly out scored Hollifield to make it 4-0 Mineral Wells.

Hayes Hering doubled in the top of the sixth ahead of Henry’s home run over the left field fence to put the Rams up 6-0. The next batter, Hollifield, circled the bases on a triple and an error to make it 7-0. Preston Mendez walked and Schroeder singled, setting up Gadd’s RBI single on a hard grounder.

Tyler McWhorter pitched two innings in relief, striking out two Lions while allowing two hits, no walks and an unearned run.

Next up for Mineral Wells Varsity Rams is a game at the Wall Hawks on Saturday while awaiting their post-season plans to be announced.