Apaches post win in consolation play

HALLETTSVILLE – The Gonzales Apaches struggled mightily to put away their opponents at the Jimmy Appelt Tournament last weekend, with their only win coming in the consolation game Saturday.

As coach Larry Wuthrich summed up his team’s tournament experience, Gonzales spend all day “searching for the all-elusive third out.” In their first two losses, Apache opponents scored all of their runs after two outs.

Shiner 4, Gonzales 3

Gonzales opened pool play Friday against Shiner. The Apaches took advantage of early walks in the first inning, bringing in a pair of runs by way of a Tyler Janota two-RBI single. As the starting pitcher, Janota held the Comanches in check for most of the game, throwing nine strikeouts and giving up eight hits with three walks.

With both teams struggling to score runs all game, Gonzales finally scored again in the fifth inning, increasing its lead to 3-0.

But Shiner started a comeback in its half of the frame. An error and a double got two men on for the Comanches, and after two outs, they finally scored their first run of the game.

After a scoreless sixth inning, the Apaches failed to score in the seventh to give Janota some cushion for the bottom of the inning. The Apaches were one out away from winning the game, but that was the story for the tournament. An error on the first basemen, a single and a base on balls later, Gonzales was in a jam. Another single scored two runs before the Apaches were able to stop the bleeding with a Janota strikeout to force a last extra inning.

By tournament rule, in the event of a tie at the end of the two-hour time limit, an extra inning is played using the following format: The visiting team begins the inning with one out and the hitter who made the final out of the previous inning occupying second base. The home team repeats the process in the bottom half of the inning.

With a man on second, the first Apache batter walked. Then with one out and runners occupying the corners, the ball was hit in the infield. The Comanches attempted a double play, retiring the runner at second and barely missing the out at first base.

At least, that’s how the field umpire saw it.

After much groaning from the Comanche side of the field, the home-plate umpire brought in the field umpire for a conference and then overturned the call, completing the double play and ending the Gonzales half of the inning.

Shiner, with a man on second per tournament rule, advanced the runner with a hit toward shortstop. Searching again for the all-elusive third out, the next batter came away with the game-winning RBI hit past third base, ending the game in Shiner’s favor at 4-3.

Gonzales, in turn, left 14 men on base in this loss.

Brazos 3, Gonzales 0

The Gonzales Apaches turned around with a doubleheader format to face the Brazos Cougars.

Gonzales again had trouble scoring, stranding seven men on base in the Apaches’ second loss of the day.

The game was scoreless until the fourth inning where, after two outs, the Apaches gave up two runs before finally recording that all-elusive third out that plagued them all day.

With the Cougars owning a 2-0 advantage, the Apaches were one good rally away from making it a game. Unfortunately, no rally could be found, as they went hitless for the next two innings.

The Cougars increased their lead in the bottom of the sixth inning with yet another two-out run, for a 3-0 cushion.

The Apaches had one shot left to win the game, but could not pull it off, with the last two outs of the game being strikeouts.

Gonzales 10, Ganado 1

After opening the tournament with two losses, the Apaches found themselves in the consolation game against the Ganado Indians, who were scoreless in their two previous games tournament games.

The Apaches finally took advantage with men on base, in part due to a a multitude of walks given up by the Indians. Aaron Gayton finished the day going 4-for-4 with a walk and three RBIs.

Ganado chalked up its only run of the tournament in the final inning of the game, before pitcher Trey Kridler threw a strikeout for the final out, completing the game and picking up his first victory with a 10-1 verdict.

Gayton was recognized for his play, earning all-tournament recognition by going 6-for-12 at the plate.

Gonzales continues its long road trip at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Pleasanton.