Conner composed
Corsicana sophomore pitcher Conner Perkins scattered 4 hits and the Tigers scored the game’s only run in the bottom of the sixth to slip by Sherman in a Game 1 thriller.
RICHARDSON — All you had to do was look out at the mound at Conner Perkins in the top of the seventh of a one-run game Thursday night and know that the Corsicana Tigers were in good hands.
Composed and calm. Cool and collected. The Tigers sophomore right hander showed all of those traits as Corsicana held on for 1-0 victory over Sherman in Game 1 of a Class 5A Region II bi-district playoff series at Berkner High School.
Perkins hit Bearcats right fielder Antonie Zamora to start the top of the seventh, and a wild pitch moved the tying run to second base.
It didn’t matter. Perkins got two popups and then a grounder to short that the smooth fielding Oscar Castaneda handled with ease to end the game.
The Tigers scored their only run in the bottom of the sixth. Sherman starter Kaden Puls — who threw a terrific game — walked Blake Phillips to start the inning, the Tigers’ first of the game, and then Castaneda also walked to set up Corsicana with men at first and second and no outs.
Phillips, who had struck out looking in the third, said on the post game show on KAND that he refused to look at another strike three.
“I was swinging at anything close,” Phillips said. “He wasn’t going to punch me out again.”
The Tigers almost killed their only rally when Adrian Baston — who had one of Corsicana’s three hits — struck out looking for the first out. The ball got away from Bearcats catcher Cash Riley and Baston took off for first, even with the base was occupied (he can’t advance to first unless there are two outs).
Castaneda saw that and drifted off of first and he was tagged out for the second out.
Sherman intentionally walked Tiger slugger Easton Autrey to give the Tigers runners at first and second again. Phillips and courtesy runner Gabe Edgar then stole second and third on a pitch that got away from Riley.
That set up Josh Portillo, who hit a smash to third base. Bearcats third baseman Elijah Newton tried to backhand the grounder and get the third out at first, but the throw was late, allowing Phillips to score the game’s only run.
Game 2 Friday night back at Berkner (7 p.m.) will be full of intrigue.
Facing elimination, Sherman coach Alan McDougal will surely turn to lefty ace Paxton Samuelson, who has thrown a no-hitter and a one hitter in his last two starts.
There’s no telling who will start the game for the Tigers. Only Corsicana coach Heath Autrey knows the answer to that.
Phillips says the onus is on Sherman to bounce back after Thursday’s tough 1-0 loss and force Game 3 at noon Saturday in Rockwall.
“The pressure is on them,” Phillips said. “We just have to go out and execute.”
Game 2 is really about who can throw a gem like Perkins did Thursday night. He didn’t walk anyone in seven innings and allowed two singles and a double as he shut Sherman down.
Perkins retired 12 of the last 13 batters he faced. He got out of the third inning with a runner at third and no outs, a crucial moment in the game.
I texted Autrey Thursday night and told him “Perkins was dynamite tonight.”
“Man he was,” Autrey said.
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Corsicana 1, Sherman 0
Sherman 000 000 0 — 0 4 0
Corsicana 000 001 x — 1 3 0
WP: Conner Perkins. LP: Kaden Puls.
Left on base: Sherman 4, Corsicana 3.
Records: Sherman 12-17; Corsicana 25-5.
Attendance: 400
Time of game: 1:45