ALPINE, Texas –
Dalton Watts had a perfect 3-for-3 day at the plate with six RBI as the Tornados split the series-opening doubleheader with Sul Ross State on Friday.
Watts returned to the diamond after missing the last five games and immediately began producing runs at the plate, recording three base knocks and driving in six runs for CTX.
Game one was a high scoring affair from the first inning on, but an eight-run seventh inning from CTX put the Lobos in the rearview. Concordia Texas took the first game of the doubleheader 17-8.
The Tornados wasted no time scoring, plating two runs in the first frame.
Brandon Goynes got things started with a leadoff double, scoring on an SRSU error, and
Bret Leiferman drove in the second run of the game with a sacrifice fly, giving CTX a 2-0 lead.
In the second inning, CTX tacked on three more runs to their total. Mason Dubois started the frame with a two-bagger, trading places with Goynes after he belted an RBI double.
Casen Novak legged out an infield single and stole second, putting two CTX runners in scoring position, and
Corbin Cross delivered an RBI single to extend the Tornados' lead to 5-0.
The Lobos answered in the bottom half of the inning, plating four runs on one hit and a pair of CTX errors. With two innings in the book, the Tornados held a 5-4 advantage.
After a quiet third inning, the Tornados lit up the scoreboard again in the fourth. Novak, Leiferman, and
Grayson Lee worked three straight walks to start the inning, and an RBI groundout from Cross brought home the first run of the frame. Watts followed with a two-RBI single, and he crossed the plate thanks to an RBI single off the bat of
Ryan Clouse. The Tornados held a 9-4 lead after three and a half innings.
Sul Ross State answered again in the bottom half of the fourth, plating four runs on a grand slam and bringing the score to 9-8.
The score still stood at 9-8 heading into the seventh and final frame, but the Tornados exploded for an eight-run inning, producing a lopsided score. Goynes was the first to strike, leading off the frame with a triple to left field, and Novak brought him home with an RBI single. Leiferman and Lee followed this with back-to-back singles, loading the bases, and Cross earned an RBI after being hit by a pitch.
Dalton Watts secured his third and fourth RBI of the game by lacing a double to right center, and
Marcus Thach picked up an RBI of his own by executing a sacrifice squeeze. Dubois and Clouse worked back-to-back walks, loading the bases again for CTX, and Goynes drove in Watts with a sacrifice fly.
Casen Novak followed with his second RBI single of the inning, and finally Clouse scampered home on a wild pitch. Heading into the bottom half of the final inning, the Tornados secured a 17-8 lead.
In the bottom of the seventh,
Daniel Lewis completed his three-inning save by retiring the side in order. Lewis was dominant for CTX, tossing three perfect innings and striking out five SRSU hitters. The Tornados took game one by a score of 17-8.
The second game of the day was a back-and-forth affair with neither team pulling away from the other, but a walk-off homerun saw the Tornados fall 5-4 in heart-breaking fashion.
Colton Hunter started on the hill for the Tornados, and he turned in an impressive six innings of work, suffering just three hits and punching out 10 SRSU batters.
The Tornados' offense was hot out of the gates, scoring three runs on a pair of hits in the first inning. Goynes started the game by reaching first on a dropped third strike, and Novak followed with his fourth hit of the day. Cross worked a one-out walk, loading the bases, and Lee drove in a pair of runs with a single to center. A balk moved Cross over to third base, and Watts delivered a timely sacrifice fly, giving CTX a 3-0 lead in the first frame.
The Lobos plated a couple of runs in the bottom half of the inning, providing back-to-back RBI hits. After one inning, the Tornados led 3-2.
In the bottom of the fourth, a solo blast from Sul Ross State tied the game at 3-3.
After being locked in a 3-3 tie for two innings, the Lobos took a 4-3 lead on a passed ball in the seventh inning.
The Tornados answered in the following frame as Lee led off with a single and came around to score on an RBI base knock off the bat of Watts, tying the game at 4-4 in the top of the eighth.
In a tie game in the ninth, SRSU delivered a walk-off homerun, and CTX fell 5-4 in game two.
Novak totaled five hits and five runs scored on the day, and Lee recorded four hits and a pair of RBI.
The Tornados will look to win the series Saturday, playing the rubber match in Alpine, Texas at 1 p.m.
