Mustangs’ first inning propels them to the playoffs
AUSTIN — From the start, the Marble Falls High School baseball team set the tone in beating Leander Rouse 9-5 April 28 at Leander Vandegrift High School.
The two squads played for the final playoff spot, so the Mustangs’ reward for the win is facing Austin McCallum in the bi-district round of the playoffs. Game 1 will be at Scearce Field, 2101 Mustang Drive in Marble Falls, May 3 while game 2 will be at Northeast Field May 4. Both games will start at 7 p.m. Game 3, if necessary, will be played at Scearce Field 1 p.m. May 5.
Marble Falls returns to the playoffs for the first time since 2010 when it lost to Dripping Springs in the bi-district round.
“We’ve been hanging on life support,” head coach David Norwood said. “The kids really answered.”
The Mustangs (8-18, 5-8) took advantage of the Raiders’ errors to build a 4-0 lead in the first inning where they recorded only one hit.
Then junior pitcher Cody Goodman retired the three batters he faced, while his teammates scored two more runs to build a 6-0 lead by the end of the second inning.
“That was huge,” Norwood said of the first inning. “They had some trouble and some errors, and we were able to take advantage..”
And when the Raiders scored three runs in the third and one in the fourth, Marble Falls responded with three more in the fifth.
Junior Stacy Heinatz led with two RBIs and three runs scored, while sophomore Carson Bowen scored three runs.
Goodman earned the win by pitching four innings and giving up four earned runs. Heinatz pitched the final three innings and gave up one run.
“It feels great,” he said. “It’s awesome. This is the last year Coach Norwood is coaching (at the high school). It’s a good way to send him out.”
Norwood will be the boys athletic coordinator at Marble Falls Middle School next year.
The victory was the second in 24 hours for the Mustangs at Vandegrift. On April 27, they defeated Vandegrift 7-2 to force the play-in game.
“We talk to our kids about never giving up,” the Mustangs skipper said. “We had some injuries early in the year, our kids knew that. They had to play good baseball. I’m really proud of them.”