Mustangs overcome Vikings’ challenges
MARBLE FALLS — The Marble Falls High School baseball team got a little bit of everything in its 3-2 victory against Austin Lanier March 14.
They took a lead just to give it up and then responded when they absolutely had to. After Lanier junior utility player Raidel Perez hit RBIs in the fourth and sixth innings for a 2-1 lead, the Mustangs (4-12, 0-2) needed the first batter up, senior Derek Steffek, to start them off correctly. And he did with a single to left field.
“I was just trying to help out the team any way I can,” he said.
Sophomore Dominic Patterson followed with an RBI double and back-to-back bunts by junior Saul Guzman and sophomore Carson Bowen brought Patterson home 3-2.
Junior closer Stacy Heinatz (1) took to the mound and struck out three of the four batters he faced for the victory.
In the sixth inning Marble Falls got its first batter on base and gave itself some options on how to get him home, head coach David Norwood said. And it helped that the Mustangs had their fourth, fifth and sixth batters at the plate to start the inning with no outs.
“That’s the difference in the game,” he said. “With our setup guys, we have to get on base. Their job is to drive in runs.”
Before he pitched to close out the game, Heinatz got to balls at shortstop that he threw for outs during the contest. If the ball gets by him, the Vikings (4-8) extend innings.
Junior pitcher Cody Goodman earned the victory thanks by giving up two earned runs off four hits with five strikeouts, one walk and a hit by a pitch.
Norwood said the hits came when the Vikings were ahead in the count and could anticipate when the fastball was coming.
But the coach was happy with how his team bounced back from a 3-0 loss to San Marcos earlier in the day.
“It was good, sound baseball,” he said.
Senior lead-off batter Clynt Powell took an 0-2 pitch to the left field wall for a standup double and scored thanks to a standup RBI double by Heintz in the first inning.
Steffek said he believes this victory will help as the Mustangs go back to District 25-4A competition beginning 7 p.m. March 20 at Cedar Park High, 2150 Cyrpress Creek Road in Cedar Park.
“That gives us some confidence,” he said.