The McLennan Highlanders picked up a pair of wins over the Vernon Chaparrals to take the conference series victory.
The Highlanders needed some seventh-inning heroics to take the opener 9-6. Cade Waibel got the win on the mound.
McLennan took the lead with two runs in the bottom of the third inning. Cage McCloud walked and Sherman Johnson singled. McCloud scored on a single by Spencer Butt. Johnson advanced on a wild pitch and scored on a sac fly by Marcus Smith.
Vernon got on the board with a run in the top of the fourth as Joey Duran singled and scored on a Jorge Olivera Gutierrez triple.
Johnson's solo home run in the fifth gave the Highlanders a two-run lead.
McLennan added two more runs in the bottom of the sixth. Daniel Harden walked, Lachance singled and McClane Helton walked, loading the bases. Harden then scored on a sacrifice fly by Brecken Menuet.
The Chaparrals rallied for five runs in the top of the seventh to take the lead. Catcher Ridings, Michael Russell and Eric Maisonet all walked to load the bases. Irvin Leonard walked to score Ridings. Anthony Talpa then reached on an error, scoring Russell. Adiesel Berrios replaced Talpa at first. Duran walked, scoring Maisonet, and Olivera Gutierrez singled to score Berrios.
The Highlanders responded with four runs in the bottom of the seventh to steal the win. Butt doubled, Smith was hit by the pitch and Harden singled to load the bases. Lachance followed with the walk-off grand slam.
McLennan carried the momentum into game two, picking up a 14-2 run-rule victory in five innings. Griffin Lewis got the win on the mound.
Three Highlanders scored in the first. Butt was hit by the pitch and Harden walked. Lachance followed with a three-run homer.
Two more McLennan runs scored in the second. McCloud walked and but was out at second on a fielder's choice by AJ Goytia. Johnson followed with a two-run homer.
The Highlanders tacked on five runs in the third. Harden was hit by the pitch and advanced on a balk. Lachance and Helton both walked to load the bases. McCloud also walked, scoring Harden. Goytia followed with a grand slam.
Vernon scored one in the top of the fourth as Michael Russell doubled and scored on a Will Dixon double.
McLennan responded with a Smith home run in the bottom of the fourth.
Another Chaparral run scored in the fifth. Cooper Thomas singled and Talpa doubled. Thomas then scored on a ground out by Duran.
The Highlanders sealed the run rule with three in the bottom of the fifth. Butt walked, Menuet was hit by the pitch and Harden walked, loading the bases. Helton then tripled to score all three runners.
McLennan 9, Vernon 6
Vernon 000 100 5 – 6 7 1
McLennan 002 012 4 – 9 10 1
Gavin Brandstetter, Ace Thompson (6), Koby Chesterson (7) and Cooper Thomas. Isaac Godard, John Carmichael (3), Gage Goldman (5), Cade Waibel (7) and Deiten Lachance. WP: Waibel; LP: Chesterson. Leading hitters – Vernon: Irvin Leonard (0-3, RBI), Joey Duran (1-3, RBI) and Jorge Olivera-Gutierrez (2-4, 3B, 3 RBI); McLennan: Sherman Johnson (2-6, HR, RBI), Spencer Butt (2-3, 2B, RBI), Marcus Smith (0-1, RBI), Deiten Lachance (2-4, HR, 4 RBI), Brecken Menuet (0-2, RBI) and Cage McCloud (1-2, RBI). Record: McLennan 34-16 (18-9).
McLennan 14, Vernon 2
Vernon 000 11 – 2 9 0
McLennan 325 13 – 14 6 0
Chance Fouts, Grant McClendon (3), Cooper Senne (4) and Catcher Ridings. Griffin Lewis, Gavin McCullough (4), Ty Waid (5) and AJ Goytia. WP: Lewis; LP: Fouts. Leading hitters – Vernon: Eric Maisonet (1-3, 3B), Cooper Thomas (2-3), Anthony Talpa (2-3, 2B), Joey Duran (0-3, RBI), Michael Russell (1-2, 2B) and Will Dixon (1-2, 2B, RBI); McLennan: Sherman Johnson (1-4, HR, 2 RBI), Marcus Smith (1-3, HR, RBI), Deiten Lachance (1-3, HR, 3 RBI), McClane Helton (1-3, 3B, 3 RBI), Cage McCloud (0-0, RBI) and AJ Goytia (1-2, HR, 4 RBI). Record: McLennan 35-16 (19-9).
