Rusk whacks Waco La Vega to take bi-district series, 2-0
May 8—BUFFALO — Rusk manhandled Waco La Vega winning by a wide margin — 15-1 and 8-0 — in capturing the Class 4A, Region III bi-district championship over the Pirates.
The games took place at the Buffalo High School baseball field on Friday.
Rusk (22-7), the District 16-4A champions, will advance to next week's Area round and will take on either La Grange or Salado.
La Vega, the fourth place team from District 15-4A, ends the year with a 9-11 slate.
Game 1: Rusk 15, La Vega 1
Rusk skipper Ross McMurry's final words to his team before the opener were to hit, hit and hit from the start.
That is exactly what the Eagles did, as lead-off batter Will Dixon tagged the first pitch that he saw back up the middle for a base hit.
When the Eagles' at bat came to a close in the first frame, Rusk had plated five men.
After the Eagles added six runs in the second to extend their lead to 11-0 after two, it was apparent that the Pirates were greatly overmatched.
Vanderbilt-commit JD Thompson had an impressive day at the plate by drilling three doubles and knocking in three runs.
Wade Williams also clubbed three hits, a double and two base hits and drove in a run.
Other Eagles that excelled with the bat included Landon Gates (2B, 1B, 3 RBI) and Brett Rawlinson (2 1Bs, 4 RBI).
The Eagles ripped two Pirate hurlers for 15 hits in a game that was official after La Vega batted in the fifth inning.
Rusk batters combined to go 15-28 (.536) in the opener.
Thompson and Rawlinson combined on a 1-hitter for Rusk. La Vega's only hit was a single by Aiden Valenzuela.
Thompson, the lefty starter, took the win after pitching three innings and giving up an unearned run on one hit. He struck out eight and didn't walk a batter.
Thompson overcame some wildness in the third inning that saw a Pirate get aboard after a wild pitch on a third strike and two La Vega batters being hit by pitches, with La Vega only managing to get a lone run in during the segment.
Rawlinson tossed the final-two frames and didn't give up a hit and fanned a pair of Pirates.
Game 2: Rusk 8, La Vega 0
Mason Cirkel gave a sterling effort on the mound by throwing a complete game 2-hitter. He fanned 11 La Vega batters and didn't walk a batter.
The Eagles scored four runs in the first inning, to once again, waste no time in putting the Pirates' backs against the ropes from the get go.
In the last inning Rusk tacked on four additional runs.
Lane Gilchrest spurred Rusk at the plate by swatting a pair of doubles and a base hit to go along with an RBI.
Bryce Leonard had two singles, with Thompson and Williams each doubling and driving in a run.
Gates laced a double and Cirkel helped his own cause with a base knock and three RBI.
