baseball

FORNEY — Spring Hill trailed early in Wednesday night’s Class 4A Region II series opener, but scored the final four runs to grab a 5-2 game one victory against Celina at North Forney High School’s ballpark.

The Spring Hill Panthers take a 1-0 series lead and improve their season record to 33-3, while the Celina Bobcats drop their mark to 30-4-1. The teams will continue the series during Thursday’s 7 p.m. game two at the same site. If a game three is forced, the series will conclude with a 4 p.m. contest on Friday.

“We were fortunate to play our best game tonight, and we hope that we can come out tomorrow and battle with them again,” said Spring Hill head baseball coach Trevor Petersen.

Celina put some pressure on Spring Hill starting pitcher Conner Smeltzer in the top of the first and second innings, but the Bobcats stranded four baserunners and scored no runs between the frames.

The momentum remained on Spring Hill’s side when Marshall Lipsey earned a one-out double and reached third base on a wild pitch in the bottom of the first inning. Easton Ballard followed with a RBI single that drove in Lipsey for the early go-ahead run.

But, Celina answered with a pair of runs in the top of the third to take a 2-1 lead against Spring Hill. Sean Rabe launched the Bobcat scoring surge with a leadoff single, and was very aggressive on the bases. He stole second base, advanced to third on a wild pitch, and scored the game-tying run on a fielder’s choice that forced Ty Marthiljohni’s out at second base, and allowed Jackson Rooker to reach first base.

Major Brignon added a single, and Rooker came home for the go-ahead score on a throwing error past home plate.

The Bobcats ultimately loaded the bases, and Smeltzer’s pitching start suddenly ended after two-and-two-thirds innings of work, but Spring Hill found the right replacement. Wyatt McFadin was handed the pitching duties, and immediately forced Zack Henderson’s inning-ending flyout to right centerfield. He allowed one baserunner and no hits between the 14 batters he faced, and earned four strikeouts in his four-and-a-third innings of relief.

Spring Hill’s bats responded in the bottom of the third. Jax Stovall drew a leadoff walk and stole second base before Lipsey drove him in with a RBI double to make it a 2-2 game. Ballard immediately added a RBI triple that scored Lipsey for Spring Hill’s second lead of the night.

The Panther lineup went to work again in the fifth and sixth innings to wrap up another playoff win. Stovall earned another leadoff walk in the bottom of the fifth, stole second base, and scored on Josiah Mackey’s RBI single.

Lipsey was then hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the bottom of the sixth, and Smeltzer scored the final run of the night.