PHOTO: Matt Smith
By Brian Gosset
X – @gosset41
X – @gmsportsmedia1
ARLINGTON – Senior Trent Vilade hit a towering grand slam to right field to cap a huge 9-run second inning and Plano Prestonwood went on to beat Tomball Concordia Lutheran 11-2 during the TAPPS D1 baseball champ game on Tuesday at UT-Arlington’s Allan Saxe Field.
The Lions ended a 31-3 season with their 3rd title in program history and first since 2022 when they defeated San Antonio Central Catholic.
Prestonwood reached the title game after beating Argyle Liberty Christian 6-1 in Monday’s semifinals while Concordia edged out Central Catholic 3-2.
Vilade’s performance was even more meaningful – not only because it was his final high school baseball game, but he got to share the moment with head coach, father James.
Vilade is headed to play at Texas A&M.
After a scoreless 1st inning, Riggs Huggins led off the 2nd for Prestonwood with a single back to the mound. Huggins advanced to second on a sac bunt by Cruz Banuelas and scored on an RBI single to center by Max Bachmann.
The bases were loaded for the Lions when Concordia couldn’t get a ball in play, issuing back-to-back RBI walks to extend the lead to 3-0.
Junior Kniffen and Jake Felsman both got the free pass to drive in runs.
With the bases still loaded, Vilade drove an 0-1 pitch to deep right field near the foul post to make it 7-0.
Still with 1 out, Concordia walked the next 2 batters and Bachmann came back to the plate and hit his second RBI single of the inning to give Prestonwood a 9-0 lead. Vance Hernandez scored on a wild pitch just before Bachmann hit a liner to left.
Prestonwood couldn’t bring in a 10th run before the 6th that would have ended the game by run-rule, however, the Lions did score in the top of the 6th to go up 11-0.
Aiden Moffitt and Huggins drew back-to-back walks to lead off the inning and a 2-base error scored Moffitt. 2 batters later and Huggins scored on a sac fly to center by Lash Henderson that made it 11-0 for Prestonwood.
The Lions couldn’t close the game out in the bottom of the 6th as Concordia scored 2 runs to send it to the 7th.
Following a double and a hit by pitch to open the Concordia 7th, Prestonwood starting pitcher Steele Lebouef was pulled for FJ Guignard, who got a double play on his 3rd pitch of the game and forced a grounder to second that ended the game and started the celebration.
Bachmann led the Lions with 3 hits while Felsman added 2.
LeBouef finished the day with 7 strikeouts.
