Little League Baseball: Tyler squads fall to Lufkin

Published 10:51 pm Saturday, June 25, 2022

Tyler's Brandon Sanders (23) pitches to Lufkin All Stars at Morris Frank Park Friday in Lufkin, Texas.

LUFKIN — Isaac Sapp and Hardy Brown combined on a one-hitter and the Lufkin 12U All-Stars wrapped up the District 10 title with a 9-1 win over Rose Capital East at Morris Frank Park Friday night.

It was a fitting conclusion to a district tournament dominated by the local all-stars as they finished the three games by outscoring the competition 35-4.

It was another convincing win all around as Sapp and Brown were backed by an offense that saw nine different players get at least one hit.

Sapp did it all for Lufkin. He started and worked the first three innings, allowing no earned runs on one hit and two walks with five strikeouts. He added a pair of singles and two RBIs at the plate.

There wasn’t a dropoff after he left when Brown came on for three strong innings. He allowed one earned run on one hit, a walk and a hit batter with three strikeouts.



The Lufkin offense made sure its pitching staff had plenty of run support, starting in the first inning.

Sam Fitzgerald got things started with a double before Ace Horan hit an RBI single to left, making it 1-0.

Ryder Sepulvado added an RBI single that made it 2-0.

Lufkin tacked on three runs in the second inning. Reece Fitzgerald reached on an error before Kane Dugat delivered an RBI double to left. The throw easily beat Fitzgerald home, but he was able to elude a tag down the baseline before stepping on home for the run that made it 3-0.

Jase Dickerson reached on an error that scored another run and Sapp closed the inning with an RBI single that made it 5-0.

East put together its only scoring threat of the night in the second inning as its one hit, an RBI single from Sam Reed, cut the margin to 5-1.

However, East left runners at second and third on a Sapp strikeout that left the lead at four runs.

Lufkin erased all doubt a few minutes lafter. Brown started the Lufkin third inning with a double before Adrielle Diosdado hit an RBI single up the middle. Diosdado scored on an error that made it 7-1.

Sapp punctuated the inning with an RBI single that upped the margin to 8-1.

Lufkin scored its final run of the game on an error in the fifth inning, making the final 9-1.

Brandon Sanders started the game for East before Reed was stellar out of the bullpen. He allowed an unearned run on four hits in 2 1/3 innings.

Other Lufkin hitters were Dickerson (2 singles), Sam Fitzgerald (double, single), Horan, Diosdado and Sepulvado (single, RBI), Caleb Terrazas and Brown (double) and Dugat (double, RBI).

Lufkin (3-0) advances to the Section 1 tournament, which starts on Sept. 2 in Bellville.

Lufkin 11U 15, Rose Capital West 0 — The Lufkin 11U All-Stars made quick work of Rose Capital West for the second straight game as they rolled to a 15-0 win that wrapped up the District 10 championship at Morris Frank Park Friday night.

Marco Cedillo and Gavin Phillips combined for a one-hit shutout in the game that was called after three innings due to the tournament’s 15-run mercy rule.

Cedillo worked the first two innings, striking out two and walking one while not allowing a hit. Phillips got the last three outs, giving up one hit.

It was a team effort at the plate for Lufkin with each of the 12 hitters in the lineup getting at least one hit. Luis De La Cruz led the way with a pair of singles and four RBIs.

Cedillo and Bentley Tamez each had two hits for Lufkin while Isaiah Pierce, Grant Durbin, Ashton Arrequin, Carsyn Garrett, Payson Arambula, Gunner Ditsworth, Phillips, Jace McCollum and Miller Todd each contributed a hit.

Lufkin scored three runs in the first inning and six in each of the second and third frames with Todd’s two-run single putting the run rule into effect.

Lufkin (2-0) advances to the Section I tournament, which starts in Austin on July 2.

Lufkin Minors 13, Rose Capital West 3 — The Lufkin Minors set up a winner-take-all game for the District 1 championship with a convincing 13-3 win over Rose Capital West in Tyler Friday night.

The teams will face each other at 7 tonight at Morris Frank Park with the winner taking the district title.