Mules vs. Shallowater Baseball (4-5-2016)

Mules vs. Shallowater Baseball (4-5-2016)

The Mules may have played their best defensive game of the season Tuesday against the Shallowater Mustangs. The Mules held the Mustangs to eight hits and five runs but lost the game 5-1.

Danny Campos took the mound for the Mules and got the first batter to ground out to Blake Parker at third base. The next batter doubled to reach second base. The third batter flew out to Bryce Mauricio in centerfield and the runner had to hold at second base.

A base hit thru the hole put runners at first and third. The number five batter flew out to left field. Jaxon Lee made a leaping catch for the third out.

Mauricio drew a leadoff walk to start the bottom half of the first inning. He stole second base on the second pitch to JoJo Rejino. Rejino went down swinging for the Mules first out. Ryan Rodriguez took a called strike three four out number two.

Mauricio went to third on a passed ball before Jason Florez sent a ground ball by the third baseman for a single. Mauricio scored to put the Mules on top 1-0. Mauricio’s run proved to be the Mules only run.

Mauricio chased down a fly ball to right centerfield for the first out of the second inning. A base hit over Rejino fell into shallow leftfield. Campos got a called strike on the outside corner for the second out. An error allowed the number nine batter to reach first and put runners on first and second.

A double to leftfield put the Mustangs ahead to stay 2-0.

The Mules went in order in the second inning.

The Mules held Shallowater to a single hit and scoreless in the third and fourth innings. In the fifth inning the first batter popped out to Campos on the mound. The second sent and fly ball to right field. Lee chased the ball to the foul line to make the catch.

A two out walk, back-to-back base hits and a Mule error allowed one run to score before the final batter grounded out to the mound. Jason Florez had just relieved Campos and stabbed the come backer. He then flipped the ball to Rejino at first base for the third out.

Florez struck out the first batter he faced in the top of the sixth inning. The next lined out to Reece Orozco at second base and the third ground out to Florez. The Mustangs continued to lead the Mules 3-1 after six innings.

In the top of the seventh Mauricio tracked down a fly ball in right centerfield. A homerun over the left centerfield fence added one run to the Mustang total. Flores gave up a rare walk that scored on a line drive to left centerfield.

That proved to be the final run of the game. Florez struck out the next two batters to end the Shallowater half of the game.

Campos slammed a one-out triple to left centerfield. Keeton Edwards was hit by a pitch but was caught as he attempted to steal second base for the second out. The final Mule to the plate struck out to end the game.

The Mules drew bye for Saturday but started the second round of district Tuesday when the Littlefield Wildcats visited the Mules. The Mules started the second round with a record of 1-3.