BASEBALL: Lubbock Coronado knocks off OHS in opener

A pair of singles, a walk and a fielder’s choice was enough to score a run for Lubbock Coronado in the top of the first inning Tuesday against Odessa High.

That was more than enough for Mustangs pitchers Taylor Bridges and Bryson Mitchell to work with in the season opener for both teams.

Bridges allowed two hits in five innings of work and struck out seven while Mitchell added a pair of scoreless innings in relief to lead Lubbock Coronado to 7-0 victory over the Bronchos at Pressly Field.

Chase Sarchet and Greg Hewett gave their pitchers some breathing room in the middle innings with home runs and the Mustangs (1-0) never looked back.

“I thought it was good way to start the season,” Lubbock Coronado coach Gary Hix said. “One of the biggest things was that we didn’t give (Odessa High) any extra outs and we made a pair of big plays up the middle at shortstop and another at second base to keep them out of big innings.

“The ball jumped out of here a couple of times today and it’s always nice when you can do that. It’s nice to have Taylor out there to start the season and he did a good job.”

Bridges, who pitched a one-hitter in the Class 5A state semifinals last season as a sophomore, kept the Odessa High (0-1) guessing all afternoon, using a trio of pitches at any time in the count for strikes, and consequently, key strikeouts.

OHS coach Leroy Mansanales came away impressed.

“He showed up today,” Mansanales said of Bridges. “He landed any given pitch on any given count. He had a great day.

“That’s something I stress to my pitchers in that if you show and you can land two (pitches), we got a chance. If you show up and land three, we are going to win the game and he was landing three all game.”

Mustangs’ leadoff hitter Craig Grossman quickly got things started in the top of first with an opposite-field single to left field.

After OHS starter Johnny Campos got Josh Narvaiz to fly out to right field, Paxton DeLaGarza singled off Campos’ left leg to put runners at first and second.

Hewett walked to load the bases and Sarchet grounded into a fielder’s choice to second baseman Ryan Martinez, who flipped to shortstop Mason Rodriguez at second force Hewett, as Grossman scampered across the plate with the game’s first run.

It still was a one-run game when Lubbock Coronado came to back in the third inning, with Campos quickly retiring Narvaiz and DeLaGarza for the first two outs.

That’s when Hewett blooped a single into shallow center field, just past the outstretched glove of Martinez, bring Sarchet to the plate.

He turned on Campos’ first offering, driving a pitch low in the strike zone over the right-center field wall for a two-run home run and plenty of breathing room for Bridges.

“A bloop and a blast and it changed the entire game,” Mansanales said.

Odessa High mounted its best threat of the game in the fourth inning when Austin Tavarez earned a one-out single to right off Bridges, who promptly walked Ivan Subia.

Bridges settled down to strike out John Rodriguez, but Sergio Marquez put the ball in play up the middle and it looked as if the Bronchos would push a run across.

DeLaGarza, at shortstop, had other ideas, ranging all the way behind second base to scoop up the ground ball and then throw Marquez out at first to end the inning.

>> Lubbock Coronado 7, Odessa High 0

L. Coronado... 102  111     1   —     7    10     1

Odessa High. 000  000     0   —     0      2     2

Taylor Bridges, Bryson Mitchell (6) and Greg Hewett. Johnny Campos, EJ Alvarez (5), John Rodriguez (7) and Jacob Nunez. W — Bridges (1-0). L — Campos (0-1). HR — Lubbock Coronado: Chase Sarchet, Greg Hewett..

Records — Lubbock Coronado 1-0, Odessa High 0-1.