Local Sports

By TERRY CANNON
Staff Writer

BRENHAM — Using a 13-hit attack, the Tyler East Senior League All-Stars lived to play another day with a 12-0 domination of South Austin Optimist in Sectional play Monday night at Fireman’s Park.

Tyler East will now face Bryan West — 21-7 winners over TE on Sunday — in the championship round beginning at 10 a.m. Tuesday. A Tyler win in the first game would force a second game in the double elimination tournament immediately following the first game.

South Austin, 24-0 losers to Bryan West on Saturday, was eliminated from the tournament.

Stevie Hilburn tossed a two-hit shutout at SAO and was in trouble only once — but he worked out of a bases loaded jam with a strikeout and a ground out to second baseman Caleb Gibson in the bottom of the fifth.

Kevan House provided the thunder at the plate for Tyler East, going 3-for-4 with a homer, double and single and four RBI.

He also helped preserve Hilburn’s shut out in the bottom of the third with a spectacular, over-the-shoulder catch in deep center field.

Tyler East scored at least one run in each inning before the 10-run rule went into effect after the third out in the bottom of the fifth.

Other key contributors for Tyler East included Andrew Chadbourne, who went 2-for-3, stole two bases and scored one run. Luke Wyatt and Blake Bishop both slugged triples for TE, while Payton Smith and Zach Cannon were both 2-for-3 with a couple of runs scored apiece.

On the mound, Hilburn managed to keep the South Austin batters off balance just enough with his breaking balls before going to his fastball for strikeouts and ground outs while allowing two harmless singles.

The winner at Sectionals will travel to Tyler for the Texas East State Tournament, scheduled for July 19-23 at Faulkner Park.

BOXSCORE

Tyler East 113 43

South Austin 000 00

TE: Stevie Hillburn and Zach Cannon; SAO: R.C. Wilhite, Michael Loera and Jonathan Riojas.

2B — TE, Kevan House; 3B — TE, Luke Wyatt, Blake Bishop; HR: TE, House.

Records: TE, 1-1; SAO, 0-2 (eliminated).