In a battle of two DFW area teams, Grapevine beat Lucas Lovejoy on Jarett Boswell’s walk-off single in the seventh for a 6-5 win for the Class 5A state championship on Saturday from Round Rock’s Dell Diamond.
Grapevine ends 40-5.
It’s the Mustangs’ second title and first since 2016.
It was their first state tournament appearance since finishing as 5A runner-up in 2017. Grapevine became the first UIL baseball champ to win the title game on a walk-off hit (7-inning game) since Flatonia in 2015.
Boswell was named MVP and made the all-tournament team along with Dasan Hill, Gianni Corral, Sammy Kelley and Zackary Goldstein. Lovejoy, which shut out defending champ Magnolia West 4-0 in the semifinals, ends 30-8-2. It was the Leopards’ first state tournament appearance. Leopards that made the all-tourney team included Garrett Hutchins, Aerren Marshall, Kyle Branch and Logan Corley.
Grapevine started on fire with four runs in the first inning.
Kelley hit a pitch to right for a lead off single. Peyton Tatum reached on an error and Boswell knocked in Kelley for a 1-0 lead. Tatium scored on a wild pitch and Boswell scored on a grounder from Lale Esquivel. Corral flied out to center for an RBI that drove in Ryan Williams that made it 4-0.
Lovejoy got three back in the top of the third.
Corley doubled to left and pinch runner Braden Smith scored on an RBI single from Branch. Reese Ogden hit a one out single up the middle and Asher Lacy doubled to left to make it 4-2. Marshall reached on a fielder’s choice and Joey Brooks scored to cut the Grapevine lead to 4-3.
Lovejoy led off the fourth with a walk, but the Mustangs turned a double play.
A triple from Esquivel and Corral walk in the bottom of the fourth helped Grapevine to a two-run lead. Esquivel scored on the sac fly to right from Goldstein to make it 5-3. Two more runners reached but a runner at first was picked off to end the inning. After a scoreless fifth and sixth inning, Lovejoy tied it in the seventh.
Down 5-3, Branch led off with a single to center.
Back-to-back RBI doubles by Hutchins and Ogden tied the game at 5.
Three straight grounders in the infield ended the threat.
In the bottom of the seventh, Grapevine’s first two batters got out. Lovejoy was one out away from sending the championship to extras. Kelley started the rally with a single to right and Tatum walked. Both runners advanced to second and third on a balk. Then Boswell smashed a pitch over the center fielder and Kelley scored the game-winning walk off run.
Grapevine also walked it off in the 5A semifinals – a 2-1 win over Leander Rouse. The Mustangs were down to their first two outs and trailed 1-0, but Rouse had a throwing error to first and both runs scored.
Kelley finished with three hits and two runs.
Boswell had two hits and two RBI.
JoJo Kubo started the game for Grapevine and allowed three runs on four hits in three innings. Luke Schreyer got the win (12-2) after allowing two runs on three hits in four innings of relief. Schreyer got the win against Rouse after pitching in the seventh. Hill started and allowed two hits in six innings and finished with 10 strikeouts.
