The Aubrey Chaparrals varsity baseball team secured their fourth bi-district championship in a row, defeating the Van Alstyne Panthers two games to one.
The Panthers took Game 1, but the Chaps battled back to win games 2 and 3 in a series that went down to the wire.
“They play with a lot of heart,” Aubrey head baseball coach Nathan Hentry said. “The way we lost on Wednesday night, being up by three runs with them down to their last strike, and we had a guy in a rundown and threw it away, they easily could have given up and quit, but that’s Aubrey baseball. We’re not ever going to quit, and that goes back to teams before them. They’re selfless, they play for one another, and they show a lot of grit.”
The two teams met for Game 1 on April 29, with Aubrey getting on the scoreboard, 1-0, in the top of the first inning on a sacrifice fly ball hit by Sebastian Marin.
The Chaps’ early lead was shortlived, with the Panthers flipping the script in the bottom of the third inning with a 3-0 scoring run to take a 3-1 lead.
Aubrey retook the lead, 7-3, with a 6-run barrage of their own that spanned the fourth and fifth innings with big hits from Jackson Polen and Diego Tagliaferro.
The Panthers would pick up another run in the bottom of the fifth inning, cutting the Chaps’ lead to 3 runs, which remained the score as the contest entered the final inning, where Van Alstyne exploited holes in Aubrey’s defense to tie the game and eventually take the win 8-7.
The Chaps found themselves up 1-0 again midway through Game 2 after Tagliaferro drove in Polen with a ground ball double in the bottom of the third inning, but the Panthers clawed their way back in front with a 3-run burst in the top of the fourth, taking a 3-1 lead.
Aubrey found their footing and tied the game in the bottom of the fifth inning when Dane Buck laid down a bunt that allowed Ethan McMeen to cross home plate.
The Chaps added two more runs in the bottom of the sixth inning and held on to their lead to take the win 5-3.
Van Alstyne struck first in Game 3, taking a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning and adding two more runs in the top of the third, racing out to a 3-0 lead.
Aubrey turned the tables on their opponent when Jax Duncan drove in 3 runs with a line drive double to right field, tying the game in the bottom of the fifth inning.
“I didn’t have any nerves going into the batter’s box,” Duncan said. “I was focused on doing it for my team, and I knew I was the guy.”
The Chaps sealed the win in the bottom of the seventh inning when Ayden Bass grounded into a fielder’s choice, giving Buck the space he needed to beat the throw home, putting Aubrey on top with the final score, 4-3.
Henry highlighted the performances of pitcher Jimmy Hay, who led the Chaps with 5 strikeouts and 3 earned runs in Game 2, and Duncan, who tied Game 3 when Aubrey needed it the most.
Luke Hellman also played a key role in the series for the Chaps, closing Game 3 with 3 strikeouts and allowing no hits and 0 runs.
“We gave up three [runs], but they were hitting the ball down the line, so we knew we had to score to win, and Jax came in and cleared the bases, then all I had to do was help my team by throwing strikes and trust that they would make plays behind me,” Hellman said.
The Game 3 win also marked the 200th victory of Henry’s career as a head coach, and he expressed his appreciation for the career milestone.
“Glory to God for everything,” he said. “I’m so blessed to be at such a great place, and we have a tremendous administration, tremendous parents and a booster club that is always supportive, and thank you to my family, who allow me to do this, but ultimately, it’s about the players on the field. I don’t do this for the dog piles. I do it for the people in the dog pile.”
Aubrey was scheduled to begin its area round series against Godley Thursday, the results of which were not available by press time, with Game 2 scheduled for Friday at 7 p.m. and Game 3, if necessary, at 1 p.m. Saturday.
All games will be played at Haltom High School.
