Salado Bats 12U baseball team will be playing in the finals of the Texas Teenage Baseball-Softball Association state tournament at 7p.m. tonight (Fri. July 14) at the Crossroads Park  (1020 Research Parkway, Temple).

To get there, the Bats have gone 3-1 in the tournament, losing 13-7 to Groesbeck in the second round on May 12 and then beating the Temple Dodgers, 12-1, the Teague Lions, 10-2 and the Clifton Cub, 7-1.

The Bats will have to win two games against Groesbeck, which went undefeated in the winners’ bracket.

R H E

Groesbeck 13 8 4

Salado 7 10 6

The Bats took an early lead with a run in the first. Kelton Matocha led off with a single, advancing on an error, Brady Bratton and Staton Norman both grounded out to advance and score Matocha.

Groesbeck scored three runs in the second. Salado added a run in the second. Slayde Rockwell led off with a single and stole second. He scored on a single to right by Cruz Cox.

The Bats tied the game in the third with a run by Bratton. He singled with one out and scored on a two-out double by Noah Sifuentez.

Groesbeck took control in the fourth with six runs.

The Bats added two runs in the fifth. Matocha walked with an out and scored on a double by Norman. Norman stole third and scored on an error.

Cox led off with a double and went to third on a single by Gavin Winders. Winders stole second and Tristen Oliver doubled to score Cox. A walk loaded the bases and Norman was hit by the pitcher to plate Winders before the final out. 

  Groesbeck was able to keep the lead by scoring a run in the fifth and three in the sixth.

R H E

Salado 12 13 0

Temple 1 4 2

Salado beat the Temple Dodgers 12-1 in a mercy rule shortened game in a late game July 12.

Gavin Winders led off the game with a double as Salado scored four runs in the first. He scored on a double by Staton Norman, who stole third and scored on an error. Slayde Rockwell walked and stole second. Noah Sifuentez singled and both runners stole base. Landom Crum singled to score both runners. Brady Bratton tripled but was left stranded.

The Bats added  three runs in the third. Norman tripled, scoring on a sac fly by Rockwell. Sifuentez singled and stole second. He went to third on a groundout. Bratton was hit by the pitcher and Camden Herrmann reached on an infielder’s error that allowed both runners to score.

Salado scored five more in the fourth. Hayden Greenfield walked. Winders singled. Cox homered to score both runners. Norman tripled to right and scored on a double by Sifuentez, who stole third and scored on a single by Crum.

R H E

Salado 10 12 3

Teague 2 2 2

Salado beat the Teague Lions 10-2 in the early game on July 13.

Staton Norman homered with two outs in the first for the Bats.

Salado added two in the second. Noah Sifuentez led off with a double and went to third on a single by Kelton Matocha. He stole home and Matocha stole second. Landon Crum walked and both runners stole base. Tristen Oliver grounded out, scoring Matocha.

Norman scored a run in the third by walking, stealing second and third and scoring on an error.

Teague scored two runs in the fourth.

The Bats put the game away in the fifth, scoring six runs. Gavin Winders led off with a single and stole second. Brady Bratton singled. Norman doubled to score Winder. Slayde Rockwell singled scoring both runners. Sifuentes doubled again to score Rockwell. He advanced on a fielder’s choice, scoring on a single by Oliver.

R H E

Salado 7 9 0

Clifton 1 3 2

With a 7-1 win over the Clifton Cubs in the late game July 13, Salado earned its launch into the championship round of the tournament.

The Bats scored early with three runs in the top of the first. Brady Bratton double and scored on a single by Staton Norman. Norman advanced on a fielder’s choice that allowed Slayde Rockwell to reach first. With two outs and runners at the corners, Kelton Matocha singled to deep center to plate both runners.

Salado added two in the second. With an out recorded, Gavin Winder singled. Bratton singled and both runners stole base. Rockwell walked and two errors on the same play allowed Winders and Bratton to score.

Matocha scored in the third. He singled and stole second and third bases before scoring on an error.