Held scoreless through six innings, Argyle had one last chance in the bottom of the seventh inning to win the game or extend it to extras.
The Eagles came oh so close.
Down to their final batter, four straight runners reached base for the Eagles, but with the game tying run 90 feet away, the rally came up short in a 3-2 loss against Magnolia West in the UIL Class 5A state title game on Saturday at Dell Diamond in Round Rock.
Argyle was making the trip to state for the sixth time overall, all in the past nine state tournaments. The Eagles won Class 4A titles in 2015, 2018 and 2019 and reached the 3A final in 2014. This is the first year Argyle is in 5A.
It was a pitcher’s battle between West’s Caylon Dygert and Argyle Alex D’Angelo has the game was scoreless through five innings. But West (36-5), in its first trip to state, scored three runs in the top of the sixth inning.
A total of 10 batters came to play and the only runs came on a bases clearing single to right center from Jackson Blank, who finished the game 2 for 3.
Argyle left five runners on base through the first six innings, but only one reached second base. That came in the bottom of the fourth when Micah Roberts hit a two out single and went to second on a fielding error that came on D’Angelo’s at bat.
But Dygert got the third out via strikeout to end the inning.
Dygert ended the year a perfect 14-0 from the mound. The two runs in the seventh were unearned and he allowed five hits, two walks and five strikeouts.
The Eagles’ last ditch effort to get back in the game started with a fly out to right and grounder to short for two outs. Then Hunter Sandifer reached on a throwing error to keep the game going. Jarret Waggoner came in to run for Sandifer and was followed by a single to center from Brayden Rosckes to bring up Colton Roquemore, who represented the game tying run. He single through the right side to plate Argyle’s first run of the day.
Then JC Davis singled to left field and Rosckes scored to cut the lead to 3-2. Grady Emerson came to plate and hit a good pitch, but it was a liner to center that ended the game. Both teams left seven runners stranded. Argyle had one error to West’s three.
Rosckes had multiple hits for the Eagles.
D’Angelo took the loss (8-4) after allowing two earned runs on four hits with four strikeouts and four walks. Conor Lillis and Hudson Emeterio pitched in relief and didn’t allow a hit in 1 2/3 innings.
Argyle ends the year 35-11-2. The Eagles beat Boerne Champion 5-2 in the semis. They beat Midlothian, FW Arlington Heights, Burleson, Abilene Wylie and Lubbock Cooper to clinch a state tourney berth.
Head coach Ricky Griffin won his 500th career game this season.
