Highlanders pound Odessa to advance in winner's bracket

The 17th-ranked McLennan Highlanders opened the Southwest District Championship with a 13-5 run-rule win over the Odessa Wranglers. Kadyn Leon picked up the win on the mound.
 
Odessa took the early lead with one run in the first as Robert De La Garza led off with a double and scored on a single by Alex Bustamante.
 
McLennan took the lead with four runs in the second. Daniel Harden singled and Deiten Lachance singled. A fielder's choice by McClane Helton put Harden out at third. Both runners advanced on a passed ball, and Brody Chyr walked. Owen Smith walked to score Lachance, and Cage McCloud walked to score Helton. Sherman Johnson's fielder's choice scored Chyr and put McCloud out at second. Spencer Butt walked, and Owen Smith scored on a passed ball.
 
The Wranglers tied the game with three runs in the bottom of the second. Lazaro Alvarado walked and Eiji Sawamura singled. Carmona also singled, loading the bases. Cline singled to score Alvarado, and Sawamura scored on a fielder's choice by De La Garza that put Cline out at second. Carmona then scored on an error.
 
The Highlanders went back on top with a run in the third. Harden and Helton both walked. Chyr singled to load the bases. Harden then scored on a sac fly by Owen Smith.
 
McLennan added three runs in the fifth. Chyr walked and McCloud followed with a two-run homer. Johnson reached on an error and then came all the way around to score on two more errors.
 
Four more Highlander runs scored in the sixth. Harden doubled and scored on Lachance's homer run. Helton followed with a solo home run. Owen Smith and McCloud both walked. Johnson followed with a double to score Owen Smith.
 
Odessa tacked on a run in the bottom of the sixth as Sawamura singled and scored on a triple by Zach Cline
 
McLennan's final run came with Marcus Smith's solo home run to lead off the top of the seventh.
 
The Highlanders advance in the winner's bracket to face Weatherford at 2 p.m. Friday. All games are being streamed live at https://tsbnsports.com/click-title-of-game-to-watch/.
 
McLennan 8, Odessa 5
McLennan 041 034 1 – 13 8 1
Odessa 130 001 0 – 5 9 2
Isaac Godard, Kadyn Leon (2) and Deiten Lachance. Daniel Lopez, Dominick Guidice (3), Jacob Alvarez (4), Ryland Morin (6), Wyatt Edwards (7) and Jose Carmona. WP: Leon; LP: Alvarez. Leading hitters – McLennan: Sherman Johnson (1-4, 2B, 2 RBI), Marcus Smith (1-5, HR, RBI), Daniel Harden (2-4, 2B), Deiten Lachance (1-4, HR, 2 RBI), McClane Helton (1-4, HR, RBI), Owen Smith (0-1, 2 RBI) and Cage McCloud (1-2, HR, 3 RBI); Odessa: Robert De La Garza (2-4, 2B, RBI), Alex Bustamante (2-3, RBI), Eiji Sawamura (2-2) and Zach Cline (2-3, 3B, 2 RBI). Record: McLennan 43-16 (23-9).