Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 |
Box Score 3 By MIKE MONTFORT
Navarro Baseball had reason to celebrate its Region XIV-opening doubleheader sweep here Wednesday.
The Bulldogs, evenly and completely thawed, scored 31 runs on 23 hits in 10 innings of play, tallying runs in all but two frames. With 11 extra-base hits among their total, the battery of the Big Red Machine appeared strong and unaffected by hibernation during the Polar Vortex. Their four pitchers yielded a combined four runs and three hits; three of them threw one-hit ball during their appearances and the fourth threw a clean 10-pitch inning to end the day. Spring was in their step Wednesday as they enjoyed their long innings and shortened games.
Yet there was another reason to celebrate -- one beyond the mind-boggling numbers from an improbable 11-1, 20-3 sweep. Those two wins that improved Navarro to 7-3 overall gave Matt Podjenski a milestone 200th head-coaching victory at Navarro.
Podjenski, in his seventh season, has directed the NC program to a 200-111-1 record (a .641 winning percentage), four East Zone Championships, appearances in two Region XIV Tournament Finals with a championship from one and a third-place finish at the 2019 JUCO World Series in Grand Junction, Co. Before assuming the head-coaching position, he served as Whoa Dill's assistant for eight seasons.
NC now must focus on the first game of Podjenski's next 200 -- a nine-inning single game scheduled here Thursday against Northeast Texas. Concerns about a 60 percent chance of rain prompted the Bulldogs and Eagles to move up their start time to noon. Weather permitting, the weekend series will conclude with a doubleheader Saturday at NTCC in Mount Pleasant.
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GAME 1: Navarro 11, Panola 1 (5 Innings, Run-Ruled)
SCORE BY INNINGS................R-H-E (LOB)
Panola.......................000..01 -- 1- 2-0 (LOB 6)
Navarro.....................231..41 -- 11-11-2 (LOB 5)
GAME 2: Navarro 20, Panola 3 -- (5-Innings, Run-Ruled)
SCORE BY INNINGS...............R-H-E (LOB)
Panola...............300.....00 -- 3-1-0
Navarro.............0(10)0.(10)X -- 20-12-0
W:
Jake Combs. L: Tyler Brown.
BATTING:
2B:
Ethan Ruiz 2,
Cal Stark,
Weston Valasek,
Alex Vergara
HR:
Chad Ricker,
Zac Vooletich
Grand slam:
Zac Vooletich
TB:
Tallon Heine,
Chad Ricker 5,
Ethan Ruiz 4,
Cal Stark 3,
Weston Valasek 3,
Alex Vergara 2,
Zac Vooletich 5
RBI:
Tallon Heine,
Chad Ricker 5,
Cash Rugely 2,
Ethan Ruiz 2,
Cal Stark 2,
Alex Vergara,
Zac Vooletich 6
SF:
Ethan Ruiz,
Alex Vergara
ROE:
Austin Thorp
HBP:
Cal Stark,
Zac Vooletich
SB:
Zac Vooletich
Leading Hitters:
Zac Vooletich -- 2-3, 2 R, GS, 6 RBI
Cal Stark -- 2-2, 4 R, 2 RBI, BB
Ethan Ruiz -- 2-2, 2 R, 2 RBI
Chad Ricker -- 2-3, 3 R, HR, 5 RBI
