BY BRIAN GOSSET
X – @gosset41
X – @gmsportsmedia1
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Trailing 5-4 in the bottom of the seventh, Waxahachie Life was down to its final outs of the season against Celina during their one game Class 4A D1 area round championship on Thursday night.
But the Mustangs put together a rally with three straight singles – to load the bases to start the inning. Then Ritter Carson had perhaps the biggest hit of his career.
The senior drove a 1-1 pitch to center field – driving in two runs for the walk off victory, upsetting state ranked Celina, one of the top baseball programs in Texas.
Celina had been ranked #3 in the Region according to TXHSB, which also ranked the Bobcats #7 in all of Class 4A. The Bobcats were regional finalist the last three years and went to state in 2022
Life (19-8-2) advances to the regional semifinals next week.
The two teams also faced each other in 2021, 2022 and 2023.
Life is in Round 3 for the first time since 2021 when the Mustangs beat Celina in a three-game series.
Celina (22-10-1) took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on an RBI single from Chase Hoffman.
After two walks and a sac bunt, Life grabbed a 2-1 lead a half inning later with a two-run double to center field by Jeremy Lester. Jordan Contreras added a two-out base knock that plated another run to make it 3-1.
Emiliano Saucedo followed with a double that extended the lead to 4-1 after one inning.
Celina rallied with a run in each of the last four innings.
Hoffman scored on a wild pitch in the fifth to bring Celina within 4-3. Mason Wood’s single to right field scored the game tying run in the sixth and Hoffman scored on a sac bunt in the seventh to give the Bobcats a 5-4 edge.
Colton Blakley, Lester and Carson all had two hits apiece for Life. Addy Askew went six innings – giving up three earned on five hits with six strikeouts.
