ROUND ROCK – Walk it in.
The No. 3-ranked Malakoff Tigers won the Class 3A state baseball championship as senior Jack Davis was hit by a pitch in the bottom of the seventh inning for the 8-7 victory.
“I can’t even believe it,” University of Incarnate Word commit Cole Gaddis said. “It is crazy and we were down three in the last inning and the guys came back and won it. This is amazing and I can’t even describe it.”
Malakoff (38-7) trailed 7-4 heading into the bottom of the seventh against the Corpus Christi London Pirates (33-6-1) and did all of its damage with two outs in the inning.
Riggin Smith reached on an error, Erik Waldo was hit by a pitch and Wes Hustead reached on an error to load the bases.
Following a strikeout, senior Bryson Adair singled driving in Smith, Gaddis walked to send in Waldo and Brandon Nations was hit by a pitch to bring in Hustead to tie the game at 7.
“It is nothing new to us,” Gaddis said of the three run deficit. “We did this in Round four against Woodville and came back down by two and won in the last inning. We knew we had a shot and just had to do it. I felt good at that point.”
John Adair said the momentum changed early in the bottom of the seventh.
“I felt like when we got a runner on. I felt like hey man this could happen,” the coach said. “No doubt about it, it happened and we never quit and when BZ (Bryson) got the hit, it felt even more like that. I knew it was about to happen.”
On a 2-0 count, Davis was hit in the shoulder by a pitch as Adair scored for the 8-7 walk off victory and the first state baseball title in Henderson County history.
“It says a heck of a lot about those guys over there wearing the Tigers across their chest,” John Adair said as he was getting emotional. “I am super proud and Carpe Diem.”
Adair was named the Most Valuable Player as he went 4-for-5 with three RBI and two runs scored. He also was the game’s winning pitcher in relief as he went two and two thirds innings, allowing one run on two hits with three strikeouts.
This was the second straight contest where Malakoff won a game in walk off fashion. The state semifinal win over Gunter was in walk off fashion on a double by Nations.
In the two games at Dell Diamond, Nations went 4-for-5 with three doubles, five walks, six RBI’s, a home run and one run scored.
“It describes and defines our team. That is us and it wouldn’t be a better ending than for us to do it that way,” John Adair said. “If we came in and did a 10-run rule or something like that, this makes it a little more special. Our guys love it and each other. They come in and battle and fight and this made it really special.
Of the four trips to the state title game, this is John Adair’s first title. It is also the final time he will make the state tournament as he retired with the state title in his hands.
“How else would you want to end?” John Adair said. “It is definitely time for me to hang it up and walk out and ride away in the sunset brother. I don’t worry about legacy. I think this will help to carry on the tradition and keep it rolling. We have kept it rolling and built something. I am looking forward to watching these guys go and keep growing.”
Gaddis said winning the state title is a dream come true. He hopes the underclassmen continue the hard work.
“We finally did it and I can’t even explain it. This is crazy right now,” Gaddis said. “I hope they keep this going and that is what coach Adair came here to do in creating a tradition.”
London opened up the scoring in the top of the first as Mason Arispe hit a triple off starter Riggin Smith. Kade Budd then hit into a fielder’s choice as Gaddis threw to Davis at home to tag out Arispe.
Later in the inning, Kade Budd scored on an error by the center fielder for the 1-0 lead.
Malakoff then answered in the bottom half of the inning as Alan Benhardt singled, followed by a double from Bryson Adair. Gaddis then hit into a sacrifice fly and Nations doubled for the 2-1 lead.
London then countered once again to tie the game at 2 in the top of the second inning. Smith was called for a balk as Henry Sepulveda came in to score.
The game would remain tied until the bottom of the fourth as Bryson Adair smacked a two-run single scoring Nathan Jones and courtesy runner Judd Driskell for the 4-2 lead.
In the top of the fifth, London would regain the lead on a two run double by Mason Jacob, an RBI-single by Landon Salinas and a bunt single by John Martinez for the 6-4 lead.
The Pirates would add one more run in the bottom of the sixth as Jacobs reached on an error that scored Jacob Gonzales for the 7-4 lead.
Malakoff had hits from Benhardt, Gaddis, Nations, Jones, Smith and Hustead. Gaddis and Nations each had two RBI’s as each player had a double in the title win.
Smith got the no decision on the mound as he went four and a third innings, allowing five runs, four earned on six hits with three walks and one strikeout. Jones threw five pitches in relief allowing one run on no hits with one walk.
John Adair said to have the talent he had on this year’s team made the state title victory even more special in his final year as the manager of the Tigers.
“That was everything,” John Adair said. “They (the seniors) have worked so hard and I can’t believe it. I have watched them play ball or coached them for a long time. I can’t be happier for them.”
