Salado Eagles are a win away from a trip to the 4A State Baseball Tournament. The Eagles beat Jasper 10-1 Thurs. May 31 and will play game 2 at 5 p.m. Sat. June 2 at Montgomery High School (22825 TX-105). If necesary, Game 3 will follow 30 minutes after Game 2. 

The Eagles scored three runs in the first, two in the second, a run in the fourth and three more in the sixth inning of their 10-1 win.

Ryan Oakes led off the game with a single, followed by a single by Dalton Hawes. Jacob Wilk knocked in both baserunners with a homer over the right field fence for a 3-0 lead. Jasper scored a run in the bottom of the first. Reese Durand led off the frame with a single to right. M Soisson reached on a fielder’s choice that put the Durand out at second. Soisson went to third on a single to right by T Bryant. L Escalante knocked Soisson in with a fielder’s choice grounder down the third base line. 

Pitcher Oakes gave up only one other hit over the next six innings, a single by Soisson in the third. Two other Jasper batters got on base, thanks to an error in the fourth inning and a walk in the fifth, the only one Oakes issued.

Oakes pitched the entire game for Salado, striking out seven batters. He had a stingy defense behind him as left fielder Belton Farr grabbed three fly balls for outs and third baseman Kade Maedgen and shortstop Jacob Wilk each grabbed two grounders to throw out the batter trying to get to first.  Oakes even caught pop ups back to him to keep batters from reaching. The game ended when centerfielder Caleb Self caught a line drive.

Salado added two runs in the second. Belton Farr walked to lead off the frame. Oakes singled to center to advance Farr to third. Oakes reached second on the throw from center. Hawes singled to plate Farr and put courtesy runner Drew Dobbins (in for Oakes) at third. Maedgen hit a sacrifice fly to left that scored Dobbins for a 5-1 lead.

In the third, Max Marin hit a solo homerun over left field for a 6-1 lead.

Rustin Hale singled to left with two outs in the fourth. Courtesy runner Wrook Brown scored on a double to left by Maedgen, who was left stranded. 

Back at the top of the order in the sixth, Oakes led off with a double. Courtesy runner Dobbins scored on a hard single to left by Hawes. Hale walked to put runners at first and second. With two outs, Dustin Heath doubled to center, scoring Dobbins and courtesy runner Brown for a 10-1 lead. Heath was left stranded on second.

Oakes and Hawes both had three hits in the game. Hawes had 2 RBI and scored two runs himself. Wilk homered to score a run and had 3 RBI. Heath had 2 RBI.