Antlers end season in playoff loss to Cedar Park

Tivy’s baseball season ended at home Saturday when the Antlers were swept in two games by Cedar Park in Class 5A bi-district action.

Scores favored the Timberwolves 4-0 and 4-2 and Tivy finished 19-14-1 overall while Cedar Park advances to an area round series with its record ticking upward at 22-11-2.

Tivy, which had winning streaks of eight and seven games during the year, fell into a three-game skid when combining its postseason defeat with its tie-breaker game against Boerne Champion to determine third and fourth place from 26-5A.

In game one Tivy was guilty of five errors, which overshadowed a solid pitching effort by Stormy Rhodes who struckout seven, walked four, and allowed no earned runs over four and two-thirds innings. Rhodes rolled along until the fourth when a series of defensive miscues resulted in Cedar Park getting across two runs.

Rhodes left in the fifth after reaching his pitch count that was 101, and at the time Cedar Park had two outs although the bases were loaded for reliever Jayden Harrington. Harrington proceeded to force a ground out, then managed two outs to begin the sixth. Cedar Park chased Harrington from the mound with back-to-back doubles that put Tivy in a 3-0 hole. Two earned runs were charged against Harrington who gave way to Hayden Kneese who came on in the seventh. Harrington struckout one.

Kneese posted one strikeout victim, allowed three hits during one and one-third inning, and worked out of the inning after Cedar Park had two baserunners with Tivy’s final error and a single.

Kneese singled to lead off Tivy’s half of the seventh, but three straight K’s by Cedar Park pitching thwarted any plans of rallying.

Frustrating for the Antlers was the fact they loaded the bases twice. One opportunity came in the first inning with only one out. The second chance at doing damage was in the third with two out.

Eric Tenery did have two of Tivy’s five hits. In addition to Kneese, Kale Lackey and Aiden Cline also singled.

Timberwolves pitching struckout 11 Antlers.

Game 2

Cedar Park got off to a hot start in game two when the Timberwolves parlayed a walk, single, and triple into a pair of runs before a double play ball eased Tivy out the first inning. Cedar Park battered Tivy pitchers for two doubles and a triple in the deciding game.

Tenery was Tivy’s starter, allowing six hits, walking three, striking out two, and being charged for four earned runs in four and one-thirds. Cline threw the final two and two-thirds, giving up one hit, while whiffing three batters.

Tenery’s walk began Tivy’s third inning charge that cut Cedar Park’s lead to 2-1. Adan Hernandez also walked, Rhodes singled, and Kneese singled in Austin Eaheart who was on third as a courtesy runner for Tenery.

Cline inherited three baserunners and a 3-1 deficit when he relieved Tenery in the fifth. One more Timberwolf scored via a passed ball before Cline struckout the final two batters. Cline allowed one hit while striking out three in two and two-thirds.

Kneese’s third and final single came in the sixth, followed by Cline’s single and a walk to Wiley Flores that loaded the bases. Knees scored when Tanner Beck hit a hard grounder that did resulted in Tivy’s second out. The rally ended when Guy Flores flied out to left field.

Lackey, Tenery, and Hernandez were set down with strikeouts to end the game. Tenery’s double was Tivy’s only extra base hit for the series.

Cedar Park pitching totaled 15 strikeouts, and walked six in 14 innings.

“I thought we pitched well enough to win. Our bullpen minimized damage when they came in, and we had enough hits to stay with Cedar Park,” said Tivy head coach Chris Russ.

“Our defense, however, was our achilles heel all year. Some of those errors were due to youth, but when we made mistakes they made us pay,” Russ said.

“I feel this team was really close. We just could not get over the hump versus really good teams. We did win some against good teams and beat mediocre teams. As for our struggles defensively, I don’t know if we just put too much pressure on ourselves or what. You have to tip your hat to Cedar Park though,” said Russ.

TIVY ANTLERS v CEDAR PARK

Saturday, May 6

Bi-District Game 1

R H E

TIVY – 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -- 0 5 5

CEDAR PARK -- 0 0 0 2 0 2 0 -- 4 10 0

LP: Stormy Rhodes (4 2/3 innings, 5 hits, 7 K’s, 4 walks, 0 earned runs)

TIVY ANTLERS v CEDAR PARK

Saturday, May 6

Bi-District Game 2

R H E

TIVY – 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 -- 2 5 2

CEDAR PARK -- 2 0 0 0 2 0 0 -- 4 7 2

DBL: Eric Tenery

LP: Tenery (4 1/3 innings, 6 hits, 2 K’s, 3 walks, 4 earned runs)