District outings always are tough, particularly in 4A. That toughness left Shepherd on the losing side in two games against Tarkington last week.
Head Coach Don Malone said the team battled hard and played tough but came up short in both contests — an 8-4 loss on Saturday and an 11-4 loss on March 10.
Malone said that Clayton Wolfe led the way pitching this past week, and Hagen Adams led defensively with great play out in center field. Jacorey Davis led offensively in both games.
On Saturday in a rescheduled district matchup, Tarkington capitalized on a big early inning for an 8-4 victory.
The Longhorns broke the game open in the top of the second inning with a flurry of runs. The rally began when Dylan Mills was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, bringing home the first run of the inning. Bryer Owens followed with a walk, forcing another run across the plate before Goodrum added an RBI on a groundout.
Tarkington continued the surge when Dalton Bottos delivered a two-run double, and Cambren Kutra followed with another double, driving in an additional run to cap the five-run inning and give the Longhorns a commanding early lead. Tarkington added another run in the third inning when a Shepherd error allowed a run to cross the plate, extending the Longhorns’ advantage to 7-2.
Shepherd continued to compete throughout the game and found opportunities on the basepaths. The Pirates collected hits from Wyatt Collins, Kody Pippin, Marshall Reeves, Jacorey Davis, and Hagen Adams, while Bryson Goodman, Tyler Scifres, Dallas Phifer, and Kyler Syracuse each recorded an RBI. The Pirates also applied pressure on the bases, stealing four bases during the game, and turned a key double play on defense.
On March 10, Tarkington struck first in the bottom of the opening inning, then added to their advantage in the second inning with a double into the gap, extending the lead to 3-0.
The Pirates answered in dramatic fashion in the top of the third inning. Jacorey Davis delivered the highlight of the night, launching a towering home run over the left-field fence with two runners on base. The three-run blast energized the Pirates’ dugout and quickly tied the game at 3-3, swinging momentum back toward Shepherd.
Tarkington responded in the bottom half of the inning, regaining the lead with a sacrifice fly by Dylan Mills and an RBI single from Bryer Owens, pushing the Longhorns back in front.
Wyatt Collins took the loss for Shepherd, pitching three innings while allowing five runs (three earned) on five hits with two strikeouts.
Offensively, Jacorey Davis led the Pirates with three RBIs, finishing 1-for-3 at the plate with the game-changing home run. Bryson Goodman, hitting seventh in the lineup, provided strong production as well, leading Shepherd with two hits in three at-bats.
The Pirates also flashed strong defense, turning a key double play late, during the game.
The Coldspring Trojans traveled to Diboll March 10 for a competitive non-district matchup with the Lumberjacks. In a game defined by strong pitching and timely defense, Diboll managed to edge the Trojans 3-2 in a tightly contested battle.
Both teams delivered impressive performances on the mound, turning the game into a classic small-ball showdown where every play mattered. Coldspring starter Kaden Hubbard turned in a strong outing for the Trojans, recording 18 outs over six innings while striking out eight batters and allowing just three hits.
Despite the loss, the Trojans actually out-hit the Lumberjacks nine to three, putting pressure on Diboll throughout the game. Diboll struck first in the bottom of the opening inning when Emelio Lopez singled to the left side of the infield. A throwing error on the play allowed two runs to cross the plate, giving the Lumberjacks an early lead.
Coldspring continued to battle back at the plate and generated several scoring opportunities during the game. Wade Currie, Brayden Sherman, and Jordan Ash each recorded two hits to help lead the Trojan offense. Currie also drove in a run, finishing the night 2-for-3 at the plate.
Hubbard took the tough-luck loss for Coldspring despite his strong performance, giving up three runs — only one of them earned — while striking out eight and walking just two.
