Lennard remains unbeaten with road win at Durant

By Jarrett Guthrie
Editor

PLANT CITY – Lennard traveled east on Thursday, carrying an undefeated run of 10 games along on a visit to Durant. Seven impressively-pitched innings later, the Longhorns notched another mark in the win column – besting the Cougars 3-2 as Jack Mueller weathered a pair of unearned runs to keep Lennard’s best-ever streak alive.

And according to Longhorns coach Victor Martinez, his players haven’t even put their best game together yet.

“We have to play a complete game,” he said. “I don’t know in the 11 games we’ve had, we’ve had that complete game with hitting, pitching and fielding. I’m looking forward to finally getting one of those games under our belts and seeing what happens when it does.”

Lennard (11-0) came out swinging on Thursday, as the Longhorns kept Cougars centerfielder Devin Suero busy in the first. Alex Brazer skied a pop-fly double for the games first hit, followed by a walk to John Smith (2-for-3, double), before Mattie Counts sent both across the plate with a double of his own. Counts added a second double and had a bunt base hit in his 3-for-4 showing.

“It was important to set a tone and prove that we came in 10-0 for a reason,” Counts said. “We want to prove ourselves against good teams.

“We are a team to lookout for and we are going to be a force to be reckoned with.”

Tanner Elizondo lined a third hit to center to score Counts as Lennard stretched its first-inning lead to three.

From there Mueller went to work on the mound for the Longhorns. The junior righty struck out a pair in the first, working around a walk and an infield single from Dylan LaPointe. Mueller worked six innings, allowing just three hits and two unearned runs.

Mueller said after the win he had pretty high expectations for his team this year, and isn’t surprised by their undefeated streak stretching five weeks into the season.

“Even from the fall, I knew our bats were going to go off hot, our pitchers were going to shove,” he said, “and it has stayed true so far this season.”

In the fourth inning, Lennard’s offense gave Durant (7-5) an assist as Carlos Morales reached on an error. The Cougars made the mistake hurt as senior Brett Martin put a charge in a line drive to left, scoring Dylan Hotz (courtesy running for the catcher Morales).

Durant would take advantage of another miscue in the fifth as Aidan Welsh sent a ball to third base, and his speed forced a rushed overthrow to first, which saw Welsh scurry around to third base. A passed ball two hitters later allowed Welsh to cut the lead to a run.

But that was all Mueller would allow, working through the sixth inning – punctuating his last strike-three-swinging pitch with a big cheer as he walked off the mound. Ten days removed from a two-hit, complete-game, 10-strikeout shutout over Armwood, Mueller looked unfazed by the miscues behind him as he kept Durant’s hitters stymied.

“He has really matured on the mound,” Martinez said. “He is a competitor who never gives in.  No matter what the situation is, he is going to go out there in attack-mode.”

Sophomore Zack Bird struck out the first he faced in the seventh, and caught a flip from Longhorns first baseman Keith McClain (1-for-4) for the game’s final out and recorded his second save of the season.

“Zack is another guy who competes every time he’s out there,” Martinez said. “All of the guys in our locker room have faith in him. They all battle for each other, and he is definitely one of those guys for us.”

Mueller, who bumped into pitch-count numbers and wasn’t able to go back out for the seventh inning, said he would have loved to finish the game, but has come to expect whoever takes to the mound for the Longhorns to get the job done.

“I had full confidence in Zack Bird to pick up right where I left off,” Mueller said. “And he did. He succeeded.”

Durant junior pitcher Ian Bast got the start and was greeted by some hot bats in the first, but the righty pitched very well on the night. After the three-run, three-hit first, he allowed just four more hits and left four in scoring position, finishing four innings and striking out five. The Cougars then turned the ball over to freshman Jack Brooks, who allowed two hits in three innings of work and struck out five.

“(Brooks) is going to be a good one,” Martinez said of the Cougars reliever. “He stayed composed, went right after hitters and looked really good out there.”

Durant gets back at it on Saturday when the Cougars host Wharton, in search of some payback after a 4-3 loss to the Wildcats in the Saladino Tournament; while Lennard will also face Wharton in its next outing in a home game on Monday.

(4) Lennard 3
Durant 2

L 300|000|0 – |3|9|2
D 000|110|0 – |2|3|0
W – Mueller (4-0); L – Bast (0-1); S – Bird (2)
2B – Brazer, Counts 2, Smith (L); Martin (D). Records – L (11-0); D (7-5).