Broncos beat Lockney for quarter final title

The Clarendon Bronco baseball team began the Regional Quarter-Final with a slow start in the opening game last week but rallied back in strong fashion to finish the best two out of three series as Champions.

They will take on Albany at Lubbock Christian University on Thursday, May 26 for the first game at 7 p.m., Saturday, May 28 for the second game and third if needed. The Broncos lost the first game of the series 1-9. Lockney was able to rally in the third inning to score four runs after neither team put runs on the scoreboard in the opening two innings. Brock Hatley was on the mound and uncharacteristically allowed the Longhorns to score another run in the fourth and four more in the fifth. Hatley walked three hitters while striking out two. Wilson Ward came in as relief in the middle of the fourth allowing one hit.

Offensively, the Broncos collected two hits and three stolen bases in the game. Ward singled and Aiden Caudle doubled, and Jared Musick earned two of the three stolen bases.

Head Coach Yancy Molloy knew his team could come back after the first game.

“We were down in the dumps, and I said ‘Let it hurt for a couple hours until we get home,” he said. “I said, ‘When you get home, forget about it, and let’s go play.’ At the end of the day, it’s not a life-or-death situation. Just come out and play and have fun. That’s exactly what they did…We still didn’t play as good as we can, but we had fun and played well enough.”

The Broncos were able to let the loss go and turned the tables on Lockney in the second game winning 9-1. Harrison Howard pitched all six innings allowing only two hits, two walks, while striking out six batters. The Bronco defense played well behind him and got through the game with six hits and only one error. Tyler Harper racked up three assists in the game. The Broncos were able to get strategic hits when they needed them. Easton Frausto hit a single, triple, four RBIs, and scored a run and Musick had a single, an RBI, and one run. Hatley singled, and Lyric Smith hit a good double, had two runs, and one stolen base.

The third game was the icing on the cake for the Broncos as they won 6-0 with four hits to only one for the Longhorns. Molloy went with Howard on the mound after his success in the second game. Howard threw for two and a third innings and allowed no hits and had one strike-out before Caudle came in as relief and had four strike-outs and allowed one hit.

“Harrison went out and threw well enough for me in the first game that I was able to use him in the second game,” Molloy said. “He’s a sophomore for me that throws unbelievable..”

Hatley had a single, double, and one RBI while Howard had a single, two RBIs, and one run. Calder Havens added a single, three runs, and one stolen base in the win.

“These boys are resilient,” he said. “We weren’t even picked to make the playoffs. We were picked to finish sixth in our district and went in (the playoffs) as a three seed. Our boys put that chip on our shoulder and made everybody pay for it that we met and beat in the playoffs. These boys are very resilient, and I’m very proud to coach these boys. I’m very proud of them.”