Nacogdoches Dragons Ballpark on Thursday, May 4, 2023 –
The Joaquin Rams varsity baseball team improved their season record to 22-7-1 and they took Game 1 of a Region III Bi-District Playoff by a 10-0 run score over the Chireno Owls. They will face Chireno on Friday at 7 p.m., again at Nacogdoches High School, for Game 2 of the best-of-three game series.
Ram Tanor Doggett singled to lead things off for Joaquin in the top of the first inning. Joaquin gained a second baserunner when Kaleb Brooks singled to leftfield with one out. The pair scored when Bennett Anglin drove a pitch deep which got behind the Owls centerfielder giving JHS a 2-0 run advantage.
An RBI single by Doggett in the second inning scored Malik Stotts to give JHS a 3-0 advantage. Joaquin rallied in the top of the third and went up 8-0. The final two runs raced in when Derik Holt and Brooks reached base to begin the fourth frame, and they both scored on a two RBI double by Anglin, giving JHS a 10-0 run lead.
Owl Sean Fitzgerald singled with two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning to avoid an Anglin no hitter. Joaquin was still able to gain the final out needed to end the game in the fifth inning by mercy rule, with a 10-0 run advantage. Anglin pitched all five innings striking out ten Owls and allowing a single hit and no walks. Keith Patton, Cam Nichols and Hayden Nichols combined pitching for the Owls and gave up nine hits, four walks and struck out three Rams batters.
