Marble Falls baseball team takes Game 1 in playoff series behind solid pitching
MARBLE FALLS — Marble Falls High School senior pitcher Derek Steffek is at his best when his team needs him the most.
He finished District 25-4A play with wins against Dripping Springs and Leander Vandegrift to set up the Mustangs (9-18) for a victory against Leander Rouse and a playoff spot.
So it comes as no surprise that in Game 1 of the playoff series against Austin McCallum on May 3 at Scearce Field, the Mustangs would rely on the senior to once again lead them to victory.
The Mustang gave up one unearned run off four hits in seven innings in the 2-1 win.
“He’s mentally tough,” Mustangs head coach David Norwood said. “The big thing is he doesn’t walk people. He had one walk the entire night.”
And the coach credited his athletes for making every routine play behind Steffek.
“Any time you play game one at home, you have to make a statement,” Norwood said.
The pitcher’s teammates scored all the runs he needed in the first inning. Sophomore Carson Bowen reached first on an infield error, while junior Joey Blackledge laid down a sacrifice bunt to move to second.
Then Steffek and sophomore Dominic Patterson hit back-to-back doubles to score the runs.
Norwood gave the McCallum pitcher credit, noting his curveball kept the Mustangs guessing.
Both teams went with their top pitchers in Game 1
Marble Falls will rely on junior pitcher Cody Goodman in Game 2 at Northwest Field, 6700 Shoal Creek Blvd. in Austin, at 7 p.m. May 4. Goodman got the win against Rouse on April 28. He’ll try to do the same against McCallum to help the Mustangs sweep the series.
“It was Derek’s turn in the rotation,” Norwood said. “It worked out well for us. We want Goodman to give us four solid innings and (junior pitcher) Stacy Heinatz to give us three. That’s what we’re going to try to do.”