H.S. baseball: Henderson leads Abilene Cooper past Wylie

Brady Henderson helped himself on the mound and at the plate in a Southtown clash Friday night at Cougar Field.

Henderson handcuffed Wylie on six hits while driving in three runs as Cooper beat the Bulldogs 7-1 in a District 4-5A baseball game.

Henderson struck out five and walked none in going all seven innings and helping the Cougars (11-9 overall, 3-6 district) snapped a five-game losing skid.

Cooper got all the runs it needed with a two-run first off Wylie starter Tye Briscoe. The first four Cougars reached base – Jaden Smith and Henderson walked, and Austin Cummins was hit by a pitch. Alejandro Ibarra then drew a bases-loaded walk, forcing in a run. Another scored on Garett Castillo’s sacrifice fly.

Henderson made it 3-0 with an RBI sacrifice fly in the second, after Carrillo had walked and taken third on Smith’s single.

The Coogs got four more runs in the third for a 7-0 lead – all with two outs in the inning. Castillo walked, and Grayson Camp singled. Carrillo was hit by a two-out wild pitch, and Smith walked to force in a run. Henderson followed with a two-run single. Cooper’s final run scored as Cummins reached on an error.

Wylie (12-6-1, 6-2) avoided the shutout with a run in the fourth. Sam Walker led off with a triple and scored on Collin Bruning’s hit.

Briscoe took the loss, allowing two runs on two hits and two walks without getting an out in the first inning. Overall, five Wylie pitchers combined to allow seven runs on only four hits, but they walked seven and hit four more.

The Bulldogs left nine runners stranded, including six in scoring position. Reese Borho had two triples and was left stranded each time. He got one with two outs in the first and another with one-out in the fifth.

The loss, coupled with wins by Abilene High and Lubbock-Cooper, leaves three teams – AHS, Lubbock-Cooper and Coronado – all within a game of the front-running Bulldogs.

Wylie hosts Lubbock Monterey at 1 p.m. Saturday, while last-place Lubbock High plays at AHS at 1 p.m. Saturday. Coronado is at Lubbock-Cooper on Saturday.

Eagles quiet Plainsmen

At Lubbock, two Abilene High pitchers combined on a three-hitter as the Eagles beat Lubbock Monterey 3-1 in a District 4-5A game.

AHS starter Diego Flores allowed a run on three hits in 5⅓ innings. He struck out two and walked three. Jamison Castel worked the final 1⅔ innings, striking out one and walking none.

The Eagles (9-12, 6-3) took a 1-0 lead on Brady Bennett’s RBI single in the third, chasing home Flores. Flores had walked and taken third on Saul Vasquez’s double.

Daniel Morales tripled and scored for Monterey in the bottom of the inning.

AHS got the go-ahead run in the fifth – all after Vasquez was hit by a two-out pitch. Bennett walked, and Beckham Paul followed with an RBI single.

The Eagles got their final run in the sixth. Zak Davila hit a two-out single. Flores and Vasquez both walked, and Davila scored on a wild pitch.

Monterey (8-15, 4-5) threatened in the bottom of the sixth. Nick Zarate walked with one out, and Carter Bovkoon singled. Castel then relieved Flores and coaxed Anthony Johnston to hit into an inning-ending double play.

Castel retired three of the final four batters, hitting one, before getting the save.

Monterey starter Jackson Jolly took the loss, giving up three runs on four hits in 5⅔ innings. He struck out two and walked four. Hector Villegas threw 1⅓ scoreless innings, allowing one hit. He walked one.

This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Abilene Cooper upends Abilene Wylie in District 4-5A baseball game