Whitehouse players are introduced prior to the Class 5A semifinal on Thursday in Round Rock. (Travis Yoesting/Staff)

ROUND ROCK – Back at state for the first time since 2013, Whitehouse suffered a 7-0 defeat to Grapevine in the Class 5A semifinals from Dell Diamond.

 

In the first inning, Grapevine scored five runs on four hits thanks to four Whitehouse errors.

 

The first three batters reached on two hits and a hit by pitch before Tanner Gipson hit a ground ball to third. Instead of at least one out, the ball dribbled under the third baseman and into left field, scoring two. Another run came home when the left fielder couldn’t field the ball cleanly.

 

After another error to put runners on the corners, Grapevine made it 4-0 when an error on a steal brought home another run. Ryan Drake then singled home Joseph Leal for the first RBI of the game to make it 5-0.

 

Landry Mayo was then brought on to replace Whitehouse starter Ryan Walls on the mound. Mayo got the first man to line out to end the inning.

 

Grapevine added a run in the fourth after Connor Neuman led off with a single. Neuman then stole second and took third on a sacrifice bunt by Ty Jones before coming home on a wild pitch.

 

The Mustangs’ seventh run came when Kyle Flamm tripled followed by a single by Joseph Lea.

 

Whitehouse threatened in the top of the first when the first three runners reached. Clayton Pruitt led off by taking first on a throwing error followed by a single to left from Connor Clark, who fouled off the first six pitches he saw.

 

Tanner Roach then hit a ball to shallow right field and Pruitt was sent home, however right fielder James Wyche gunned him down at the plate for the first out.

 

Wildcats clean-up hitter then grounded to second base, who flipped to the shortstop to try to start a double play. No throw to first was made, but House was ruled out for interference from the slide of Roach.

 

Whitehouse had another runner on in the second off an error but he was wiped out by a double play when Ryan Walls hit a line drive to third that was caught and thrown to first before the Wildcats runner could tag up.

 

Grapevine had hits in the second and third innings but couldn’t bring the runners around to score.

 

Connor Clark led off with a walk to start the Whitehouse fourth but was unable to advance past second.

 

The Wildcats threatened in the fifth when they loaded the bases with one out. However a fly ball to left was unable to bring home a run before a pop out to short ended the inning.

 

The Mustangs had runners on second and third with two outs after a hit by Boone Montgomery, but Mayo induced a pop out to second to end the inning.