CLASS 5A REGIONAL SEMIFINAL SERIES-LAKE CREEK\ HOUSTON MILBY- LAKE CREEK WINS SERIES 2-0

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Montgomery Lake Creek (26-5) vs. Houston Milby (30-8)
Game 1: Thursday, May 26 @ Langham Creek, 7:00
Game 2: Friday, May 27 @ Langham Creek, 7:00
Game 3: Saturday, May 28 @ Langham Creek, 12:00 (if needed)

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I imagine this is the end of the line for Milby 

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Game 1- Lake Creek- 6   Milby- 3   Final 

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Kennedy’s five RBIs lift Lake Creek to Game 1 win over Milby

Jim McCurdy, Correspondent

James Kennedy made good on the mantra of this Lake Creek baseball team. 

“Just be the hammer,” Kennedy said.

Kennedy drove in five runs as Lake Creek beat Houston Milby, 6-3, Thursday in Game 1 of the best-of-three Region III-5A semifinal series at Langham Creek High School.

“I feel going up to the plate I was just trying to stay calm, do my best, try to just see the situation, know what I have to do,” Kennedy said after going 2-for-3. “I feel this team has the same mindset. Everyone wants to win. My support from my teammates really helped me.”

The Lions will go for the series sweep at 7 p.m. Friday in Game 2.

“We’re in the fourth round of the playoffs,” Lake Creek coach Jeremy Schramm said. “That team over there knows how to win. We know tomorrow that they’re going to throw everything at us. We prepare for their best. We’re going to have to play better tomorrow.”

Lake Creek (27-5) took a 1-0 lead in the third when Kennedy pulled back on a bunt, and sent a ball through a hole on the right side to score Jaron Lyness. With two outs, Blake Brown laced a single into center to score Kennedy, extending the lead to two runs.

In the fourth, Kennedy had a sacrifice fly to bring home Luke Ekdall, who singled to open the inning. That put the Lions up, 3-0. Milby pitcher Fabian Ramirez worked out of a tight spot, getting a fly ball to right center, and doubling up a runner trying to score on a relay throw to the plate to end the inning.

“James Kennedy stepped up, and was big for us tonight,” Schramm said. “James had an outstanding night for us tonight at the plate. He’s very competitive at the plate. He executed in big situations for us tonight.” 

Kennedy ripped a three-run triple to right-center in the sixth to push the Lions’ lead to 6-0. The Buffaloes scored three runs in the bottom half of the inning on two errors and a wild pitch to cut the lead in half.

“The triple I hit, I was sitting fastball, and he threw me a hanging curve ball,” Kennedy said. “I just tried to stay confident in the box. Bases loaded, coming up to the plate, I felt like I was ready. I was just trying to stay calm, just do my job up there at the plate.”

Lake Creek starter Shane Sdao, a Texas A&M commit, went six innings, allowing one hit, three runs, one earned, and three walks, while striking out six in the win.

“I tried to stay fluent and fast all game because I knew I would catch ’em off guard,” Sdao said. “They were trying to slow me down, but that obviously didn’t work. I was just pounding the strike zone, jamming ’em up, trying to make them get themselves out, rather than strike everyone out.  

“(Milby) is definitely a good team. They have good heart, they want to win the game. They want to try to advance to the next round, and they want to win state.”

Milby (30-9) had a runner on third with two outs in the second, but Sdao got a groundout to second to end the inning. Following an error in the fourth, Sdao retired the next five hitters in order, racking up three strikeouts during that stretch.

“Shane has the ability to control the game,” Schramm said. “We did make some mistakes behind him, but it’s a team effort. We pick each other up.”

Lions closer Bryce Pacovsky worked the last inning, allowing a hit and no runs, and fanned one to pick up the save. 

“I felt good about Pacovsky,” Schramm said. “He came in and threw strikes, and just got the game over for us.”

Now the Lions look ahead, knowing one more victory will send them on to the region finals for the first time in school history. Lake Creek was bumped by Barbers Hill in the region semifinals a year ago.

“Mindset stays the same,” Sdao said. “Whether we won or lost the day before, the next day is what’s in front of us. We’ve got to win the next game. We can’t win the game before. We’re always focused on what’s ahead, rather than what’s behind us.

“I love this ball club. We get along so well. We just have so much chemistry. We always joke with each other. It’s just great.”

Jim McCurdy is a freelance sports reporter.

 

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Game 2- Lake Creek- 6   Milby- 2  Final