Katy Upends Strake, 3-2, In Spectacular Fashion

By Terry Carter

The Katy Tiger magic may have been created in football, but the essence now includes baseball.

Playing with their backs against the wall, the Katy Tigers took a huge breath before Friday’s must-win contest at Mayde Creek.

Then the Tigers created a huge moment of possibility and upset Strake Jesuit, 3-2 in eight innings, to even their Region III-6A semifinal, best-of-3 baseball series. Katy played error-free baseball and clawed back from an early 1-0 deficit to defeat reigning Region III-6A champion Strake Jesuit, 3-2, in eight innings on Friday.

With the win, the series is tied 1-1. And the best-of-3 finale will be played at Jersey Village on Saturday at 1 p.m. Expect to see more all-out play as Katy demonstrated on Friday.

Clearly this was a battle of strong wills. The Crusaders are a powerhouse. And Katy, led by baseball coaching legend Tom McPherson with nearly 900 career victories, used highlight moments on defense and key hits to outlast Strake Jesuit.

Among the many key plays: A diving catch in right field by Ryan George to end the inning and leave three Strake Jesuit runners on base. A single there could have turned the tempo. But the Tigers and George simply spoke with their intensity: Not today

Parker Kidwell, Dominic Melchor and Graham Laxton provided timely singles to rally and motivate the driven Tigers and their fans. Down 1-0, Kidwell reached reached base, stole second and scored with headfirst slide at home to tie the game in the third.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, Melchor laced a triple to the right-center field wall and slid headfirst into third just ahead of the throw. Melchor was celebrated in the dugout for his hit. Katy briefly led, 2-1, but Strake tied the game in the top of the fourth.

McPherson caught the Crusaders off-guard in the fifth when he brought senior lefthander Brayden Powers in to pitch in relief of starter Caleb Koger. The Crusaders had deciphered Koger’s pitches and strategy after several innings and scored a run already. Powers had not pitched much this season, but he came in as a former top hurler for Katy.

And he became the magic on the mound, allowing no runs to Strake Jesuit as the Tigers looked for an opportunity to strike.

In the home half of the eighth inning, Katy catcher Reese Ruderman singled off the pitcher’s glove. McPherson sent his fastest pinch runner, Andrew Hilton, to create a possibility that materialized minutes later.

It was like McPherson scripted it: A one-out single. A pinch runner for speed. A free pass for Judson Ceyanes setting up a hero’s moment for junior standout Graham Laxton.

Laxton’s hit may not have had massive authority and cleared the outfield wall, but his bloop single into left field gave McPherson confidence to send Hilton to the plate.

The Crusader left fielder made a good throw, just outside the baseline. The catcher’s diving tag, however, missed Hilton by about a foot as the Katy Tiger junior speedster dove headfirst to the inside edge of homeplate to score the winning run.

The celebration was immediate and huge on the diamond. Katy seized the momentum, and the Tigers will need to play just as tough on Saturday to edge Strake Jesuit.  There will be no free passes for either team. It’s win or home.

IMAGE 1214

Katy senior pitcher Brayden Power (16) teamed with Tiger starting pitcher Caleb Koger to hold Strake Jesuit during a must-win playoff game on Friday night.  (Photo by Terry Carter/UDPhotos)

 

IMAGE 1504

The symbol of the Katy Tigers, arms raised in team unity as the Tiger push on.  (Photo by Terry Carter/UDPhotos)

 

 

IMAGE 2116

Helmets fly in the postgame mayhem immediately after Katy pinch runner Andrew Hilton (4) beats a play at the plate to give the Tigers a huge win in their playoff series with Strake Jesuit. Now tied 1-1 in games won, the two regional semifinalists meet today (Saturday) in a winner-take-all contest at 1 p.m. at Jersey Village. (Photo by Terry Carter/UDPhotos)

 

IMAGE 2145

Katy players celebrate the eighth-inning, game-winning hit by junior Graham Laxton against Strake Jesuit on Friday at Mayde Creek. (Photo by Terry Carter/UDPhotos)