(January 25, 2025) Gainesville, Texas - After a season opening loss yesterday to North Central Texas, the Bucks returned to Gainesville High School this morning to conclude the 3-game series with the Lions. The Bucks played a pair of 7-inning contest on a windy Saturday afternoon.
Game One
Looking to bounce back and forget yesterday, the Bucks started off hot in the first two innings of the game. Ian Smith (Bismarck, AR) went yard in his first at-bat of the game to give the Bucks a 1-0 lead. The men added a 3-spot in the top of the second. All runs came with 2 outs. Dylan Gibson (Springdale, AR) hit a RBI double, and then scored on a Diego Archila (Baton Rouge, LA) RBI single to centerfield. After a walk, Smith picked up his second RBI of the day on a single to the middle infield.
The Bucks held a 4-0 lead, and starting pitcher Ethan Diaz (Minneola, FL) went to work on the mound and went unscathed through 4.0 innings. The Bucks added a run in the top of the fourth on a Jack Bilski (La Porte, TX) RBI single to centerfield.
Diaz ran into a little bit of trouble in the fifth and surrendered a pair of runs. His day ended with a pair of runners on, but Dylan Duncan (Stuttgart, AR) came on in relief and got a pop up to second base to end the threat.
Both teams went scoreless in the sixth inning, and the Bucks added a pair of runs in the top of the seventh. After a leadoff triple and a hit-by-pitch, Cody Hayes (Mildred, TX) doubled to plate a run. Another hit-by-pitch and a runner reached on a strike out, Jesse Sanchez (Kissimmee, FL) picked up a RBI the easy way on a walk to end the scoring for the day. Duncan came back out and stranded a pair of runners to get his first save of his college career.
In the 7-2 win, Ethan Diaz (1-0) picked up his first win of the season. Diaz's final line was 4.2 innings giving up a pair of runs on 4 hits with 7 strikeouts. Dylan Duncan (1) got the save in his first outing of the year in 2.1 innings of work.
Offensively, the Bucks recorded 8 extra base hits in the game.
Game Two
Wanting to keep the momentum going, the Bucks put up a run to start the game on a Cody Hayes single with the bases loaded, but that would be all the Bucks would get. NCTC answered with a run of their own in the bottom half to make it 1-1 after an inning, but they would capitalize on some Bucks errors in the bottom of the second. The Lions plated 5 runs to take a 6-1 lead off of starting pitcher Logan Steele (Magnolia, TX).
After a scoreless third inning, the Bucks once again loaded the bases and made it count this time. Ian Smith unloaded on the 0-1 pitch, and hit a grand slam for his second homer of the day and season to put the Bucks within a run. Aiden Strickland (Columbia, MO) entered the game in relief in the third and worked a pair of scoreless inning.
Tyler Reed (Pampa, TX) entered the game in the fifth for the Bucks on the mound and held NCTC scoreless. It was up to the Bucks offense to get at least run to extend the game.
The Bucks would get the run to extend the inning, but stranded the bases loaded. Dylan Gibson delivered a RBI double to right centerfield in the inning. Trapper Golden (Hughes Springs, TX) entered the game on the mound in the bottom half. He would strand a pair to send the game to extra innings.
The Bucks stranded a leadoff double in the top half, and then stranded a pair of runners in the bottom half. Corbin Miller (Sprio, OK) entered the contest with runners on and took care of the side.
The Bucks once again stranded the bases loaded in the top of the ninth. Miller made short work of the Lions after a leadoff walk and a runner caught stealing at second base by Jack Bilski.
The offense finally came to life in the top of the tenth inning. With a pair of runners on and 1 out, Diego Archila cleared bases with a 2-RBI triple. Then, Jack Bilski hit a sac fly to right field in the next at-bat. After a walk, Landen Feimster (Sheridan, AR) hit a RBI double before his pinch runner Kevin Morris (Osceola, AR) scored on a stolen base and an error to bust open the game, 11-6.
Corbin Miller (1-0) returned and worked a 1,2,3 bottom half to secure the win in extra innings and series win over North Central Texas.
The Bucks will play again next weekend in a 4-game series against ASU Three Rivers on Saturday and Sunday. Saturday will be at Union Bank Field, and Sunday will be played in Malvern.
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