The 19th-ranked McLennan Highlanders closed out conference play with a doubleheader sweep of the North Central Lions this afternoon at Bosque River Ballpark.
McLennan took game one 5-1 with Griffin Lewis getting the win on the mound.
The Highlanders scored two in the third. Marcus Smith walked and Daniel Harden singled. Deiten Lachance was hit by the pitch, loading the bases. Brecken Menuet reached on an error, scoring Smith, and Harden scored on a sacrifice fly by Brody Chyr.
McLennan scored three more in the fourth. Sherman Johnson singled and advanced on a sac bunt by Spencer Butt. Smith was hit by the pitch, and Harden tripled to score both runners. Lachance then singled to score Harden.
The Lions only run came in the top of the fifth as Caleb Cowan doubled, advanced on a ground out by Cole Rager and scored on ground out by Meki Betancis.
The Highlanders defeated the Lions 10-2 in the run-ruled second game. Charlie Kincaid picked up the win on the mound.
McLennan scored two in the first. Smith doubled, and Lachance and AJ Goytia both walked, loading the bases. Menuet reached on an error, scoring Smith, and Ty Waid walked to score Lachance.
Two more Highlander runs scored in the third as Goytia doubled and scored on Waid's home run
North Central got on the board with a run in the fourth. Sean Rabe and Drew Thompson both singled. Ethan Gonzalez hit a fielder's choice and Rabe scored on an error.
Another McLennan runs scored in the bottom of the fourth. Butt doubled and Harden was hit by the pitch. Lachance followed with a single to score Butt.
The Highlanders added three runs in the sixth. Goytia walked and scored on a double by Waid. Walker Freeman walked, and Waid scored on a sac bunt by Abdiel Hernandez-Sostre. Freeman then stole third and scored on an error.
The Lions added another run in the top of the seventh. Daxton Macias was hit by the pitch and James Bodine singled. Rager came in as the pinch runner. Rabe then singled to score Macias.
McLennan sealed the run rule with two runs in the bottom of the seventh. Chyr and Lachance both walked. Owen Egan came in as a pinch runner for Lachance. Both runners stole a base and Menuet walked to load the bases. Waid walked to score Chyr, and Hernandez-Sostre was hit by the pitch, scoring Egan to end the game.
McLennan 5, North Central 1
North Central 000 010 0 – 1 5 2
McLennan 002 300 x – 5 6 2
Drew Thompson, Austin Kyle (4) and Meki Betancis. Isaac Godard, Griffin Lewis (2), John Carmichael (6) and Deiten Lachance. WP: Lewis; LP: Thompson. Leading hitters – North Central: Caleb Cowan (2-3, 2B) and Kevin Diaz (1-3, 2B); McLennan: Daniel Harden (2-3, 2B, 2 RBI), Deiten Lachance (2-3, RBI), Brecken Menuet (1-4, RBI) and Brody Chyr (0-2, RBI). Record: McLennan 39-16 (22-9).
McLennan 10, North Central 2
North Central 000 100 1 – 2 6 2
McLennan 202 103 2 – 10 8 2
Brooks Griggs-Bell, Charles Shadowens (5), Greyden Hazard (7) and Daxton Macias. Logan Harris, Gavin McCullough (2), Charlie Kinkaid (3), Trevor Ainsworth (5), Hawk Bowers (6), Stevie Doty (7) and AJ Goytia. WP: Charlie Kincaid; LP: Griggs-Bell. Leading hitters – North Central: Sean Rabe (2-4, RBI); McLennan: Spencer Butt (3-4, 2 2B), Deiten Lachance (1-3, RBI), Ty Waid (@-3, 2B, HR, 5 RBI), AJ Goytia (1-3, 2B), Abdiel Hernandez-Sostre (0-3, 2 RBI) and Marcus Smith (1-3, 2B). Record: McLennan 40-16 (23-9).
