Burnet comes out on top in first matchup with Marble Falls

Burnet comes out on top in first matchup with Marble Falls Jennifer Fierro Special To The Highlander Fri, 03/22/2024 - 02:22 Image

• Encouraging each other is one of the staples of the Marble Falls baseball program as demonstrated by Evan Nickowski (10), Sergio Hernandez (17), and Atreyu Machacek (12). Jennifer Fierro/TexasChalkTalk.com

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The Burnet High School baseball team defeated Marble Falls 23-1 March 19 in a contest that ended in five innings in District 244A play.

"They're a good team," Mustangs head coach Tyler Porter said. "They took advantage of opportunities. We spotted a whole lot and had too many mistakes to overcome." The Bulldogs (14-2, 4-0) took a 1-0 lead in the first and had a chance to score more. But Marble Falls (8-8, 0-4) senior pitcher Evan Nickowski struck out the final batter he faced to end the threat.

In the second inning, the Bulldogs drew a walk and were hit by a pitch. A bunt loaded the bases.

"Anytime we can do that, I feel confident we can score," Burnet head coach Russell Houston said.

The Bulldogs seized control by plating 8 runs highlighted by a grand slam by junior Khris Kassner.

A Mustangs pitching change in the third inning did little to slow Burnet.

“Marble Falls ... struggled to throw strikes," Houston said. “We didn’t have to do a whole lot; they kind of helped us out. They walked a couple, hit a cou- ple. We got a couple of hits with runners on.”

By the end, the Bulldogs extended their lead to 21-0.

The grand slam doesn’t happen without the free bases and an error, Porter said.

“If you give anybody that much, anyone in the Texas is going to take advantage,” he said. “We couldn’t throw a strike and when they put it in play, we kicked it around.”

Part of why Burnet continues to be successful, the coach said, is because his players celebrate their teammates reaching base any way they can. Some do with hits, while others will draw walks, and a few will take a hit by a pitch.

Once runners are on base, the Bulldogs make very few mistakes. And when they cross home plate, the players show each other their appreciation.

“They stay locked in in every situation,” Houston said. “They don’t care who (gets on base and scores) as long as it’s us. It’s one of the most impressive things with these kiddos. They’re very supportive of each other. It’s very impressive to watch. It’s very cool to be apart of it.”

Meanwhile, Burnet senior pitcher Kade Shaw earned the win by striking out 4 and allowing 1 hit in three innings. Cooper Farris pitched the last two innings and allowed 2 hits.

“It’s hard to go into that,” Houston said. “We’re up and mentally, you have to stay focused and locked in for as long as it takes.”

Burnet has hit a grand slam in each of the last three contests by Trey Morrow, Colt Stanford and now Kassner.

“I don’t know if there was one at-bat they didn’t compete at,” Houston said. “They’re going to have a quality at-bat and do what they need to do to help us win. They believe in whoever is at the plate. They believe the job will get done. It’s a long process to get there, and it doesn’t always happen. They have truly accepted the selflessness. It doesn’t matter who it is as long as it’s us.”

Houston, who recently had his 300th victory, noted that competing in a game like this is challenging for both dugouts.

“It’s hard to be on both sides of that,” he said. “It’s hard to keep your kids focused and locked in. It’s hard to be a part of it when the snowball starts rolling. I think a lot of that does come with experience and playing with each other and having success. Success breeds success. There’s the mentality of going into the next play and whatever that is, this group has it. It’s something we harp on. Mistakes are going to happen. How do you respond after that? You have to move onto the next thing and have confidence in yourself. It’s a mentality you have to have.”

Burnet welcomes Lago Vista, while Marble Falls is at Jarrell. The junior varsities play at 4:30 p.m. and varsities follow at 7 p.m.

Jennifer Fierro publishes reports about area youth athletic events on her website TexasChalk-Talk.com. To send her a note, email fierrojenni- fer@yahoo.com.