There was nothing but exciting baseball during the first day of playoffs in the Texas Collegiate League. Brazos Valley was stumped by early control problems, giving up three runs in the first inning (which were players that were walked or HBP). Coppell ended up taking advantage and that is all they would need to defeat the Bombers in game one. In Wichita Falls, it came down to the ninth inning as Brandon Glover's game-winning sacrifice fly spoiled the Roughnecks home playoff opener.
SPEAKER DIVISION
COPPELL 4, BRAZOS VALLEY 2
Coppell got off to a quick start Monday night, as the first batter was hit by the pitch and next two walked and ended up scoring to put the Copperheads ahead 3-0 at the end of the first. Coppell's Lucas Engle, had a fantastic start going seven strong innings striking out eight and only giving up two runs over two hits. Brazos Valley's starting pitcher, Thomas Keeling of Oklahoma State pitched four innings and only gave up one hit and striking out five Copperheads. However, the problem for the Keeling was his control early in the game. In the four innings pitched, Keeling walked seven Copperheads. Matt Curry and Jeff Nutt had great games at the plate for Coppell. Matt Curry went 2-for-3 with two RBI's and a walk. Jeff Nutt went 1-for-4 with a solo-shot in the bottom of the fifth. Pat McCrory came in to close the ninth and struck out 3 Bombers and only allowed one hit in the successful save.
HORNSBY DIVISION
MCKINNEY 7, WICHITA FALLS 6
Brandon Glover's bases loaded sacrifice fly in the top of the ninth inning gave the McKinney Marshals a 7-6 victory over the Wichita Falls Roughnecks Monday night in the opener of the best-of-three Rogers Hornsby Division Playoffs of the Texas Collegiate League. McKinney held the lead until the bottom of the eighth when the Roughnecks plated three runs, thanks in part to shortstop John Dao's two RBI double. Dao scored the tying run on pinch-hitter Chris McGuire's single in the next at-bat. But in the ninth, the Marshals got back-to-back singles to lead off the inning. Then reliever Alberto Gutierrez mishandled a sacrifice bunt attempt that loaded the bases. Gutierrez allowed the sac fly, then shut down McKinney. Wichita Falls put two on in the bottom of the ninth on back-to-back hit batsmen, but Chris Wright shut down the final two Roughnecks. McKinney's Derek Wiley belted a two-run shot in the third inning for the Marshals.
