Johnson City defeated Mason 8-1 March 25 to remain unbeaten in district play, before losing to Marble Falls 10-9 in a non-district game.
With the win over the Punchers, the Eagles picked up another district sweep and advanced to 6-0 against district opponents. The Eagles are ranked first in Texas for Class 2A schools.
There was a lot for head coach Rhett Eickenloff to like in Tuesday’s win over Mason. Behind sophomore Wyatt Lorenzen’s seven innings of one-run baseball, Johnson City scored eight runs and scored at least one run in all but one inning where the team came to the plate. The 8-1 victory gave the Eagles the season sweep over the Punchers.
“This series was huge for us,” Eickenloff said. “We knew we had to play clean baseball, we had to eliminate strikeouts, and we had to get a good pitching performance, which we got tonight out of Wyatt Lorenzen. With all those factors put together, good things happen.”
On the second pitch of the game to Johnson City hitters, senior Johnny Slawinski gave the Eagles a 1-0 lead with a solo home run to left field. Johnson City added on with another run in the second inning, but gained more ground in the third inning when senior Tate Ledbetter followed a Slawinski intentional walk with a two-RBI double to give Johnson City a 5-1 lead. Sophomore Jagger Slawinski added to the tally with a two-run home run in the fourth inning and the Eagles picked up one more in the sixth to beat Mason 8-1.
“It’s not every day you get a lineup like this, but one through nine can hit the ball out of the park,” Eickenloff said. “Having [Johnny and Jagger Slawinski] hit it together though, it’s something special for them, being brothers.”
Ledbetter led the team with three RBIs and tied for the lead in walks with three, shared by Johnny Slawinski. Lorenzen went the distance for Johnson City and struck out eight Mason batters. He held the Puncher batters to a .192 batting average and worked through traffic on the basepaths multiple times.
“I keep the runner in the back of my head, but I don’t worry about him, because I’m always focused on the batter,” Lorenzen said. “I got a great defense behind me, so they always pick me up when I make mistakes and I leave it over the plate.”
On Friday, Johnson City travelled to Class 4A Marble Falls for a non-district matchup. Marble Falls got going quickly with a run in the first inning and added three more in the second while not giving up a run through the first five innings. After Marble Falls added five more runs in the fifth inning, Johnson City came to bat in the top of the sixth needing nine runs to tie up the game.
“They’re going to push us, they’re going to challenge us,” Eickenloff said prior to the game against Marble Falls. “We accept the challenge.”
After recording two outs in the first four batters of the sixth inning, nine straight Eagles reached base and nine runners scored before Marble Falls got out of the inning. Despite the furious nine-run rally for Johnson City, Marble Falls picked up one more run in the bottom of the sixth inning and the Eagles could not answer in the top of the seventh. Marble Falls’ win gave Johnson City its first loss since March 8.
Ledbetter was the only Johnson City batter to drive in more than one run, recording two RBIs against Marble Falls. He also pitched four innings and struck out five batters. Senior Marshall Jackson and freshman Truett Fry picked up the remaining two innings of work on the mount.
Johnson City traveled to Del Valle after press time Tuesday. The Eagles are back at home Friday to take on Center Point.
