No. 16 McLennan splits with No. 14 Grayson on the road
The 16th-ranked McLennan Highlanders and 14th-ranked Grayson Vikings split Thursday's conference doubleheader in Sherman.
Grayson got the 6-0 shutout of McLennan in game one with Alex DeLeon taking the loss on the mound for the Highlanders.
The Vikings' first run came in the bottom of the second as Jackson Glenn singled, moved to second on a single by Ricky Martinez and scored on a double by Cordell Dunn Jr.
Grayson added three runs in the third. Clayton Rasbeary singled, and Ryne Randle was hit by the pitch. Andrew Miller followed with a single to score Rasbeary, and Brandon Talley singled. Martinez followed with another single, scoring Randle and Miller.
Another Viking run crossed the plate in the fourth. Rasbeary doubled and Randle bunted for a single. Miller then hit into a double play, allowing Rasbeary to score.
Grayson's final run of the game came in the bottom of the fifth inning as Dunn Jr. reached first safely on an error, moved to second on a ground out by Jarrett Gonzales and scored on a single by Brandon Pruitt.
McLennan bounced back to defeat Grayson 5-4 in the nightcap with Connor Heffron getting the win on the mound in relief of starter Shane Daughety.
The Highlanders scored three runs in the top of the first inning. Dylan Neuse led off with a single, Josh Breaux singled, and Thomas Santos walked to load the bases. Keaton Milford followed with a single to score Neuse and Breaux. Santos then scored on a fielder's choice by Mitchell Caskey.
The Vikings scored two runs in the bottom of the first. Randle singled and Miller doubled, both scoring on a single by Jackson Glenn.
Grayson tied the game with a run in the second as Anthony Bernardez walked, moved to second on a ground out by Pruitt and scored on a single by Rasbeary.
The Vikings took the lead with another run in the bottom of the third inning. Glenn and Martinez both singled. Dunn Jr. followed with a single to score Glenn.
McLennan tied the game with a run in the top of the sixth as Breaux tripled and scored on a single by Caskey.
The Highlanders' winning run came in the top of the eighth as Breaux doubled and scored on another single by Caskey.
The teams will complete the four-game series with a 1 p.m. doubleheader tomorrow at Bosque River Ballpark.
Grayson 6, McLennan 0
McLennan 000 000 0 – 0 2 1
Grayson 013 110 x – 6 12 0
Alex DeLeon, Max Mize (5) and Nick Thornquist. Zach Phillips and Jarrett Gonzales. WP: Phillips; LP: DeLeon. Leading hitters: Clayton Rasbeary (2-4, 2B), Andrew Miller (1-4, RBI), Brandon Talley (2-3), Ricky Martinez (3-3, 2 RBI), Cordell Dunn Jr. (1-3, 2B, RBI) and Brandon Pruitt (1-3, RBI). Record: McLennan 33-14 (18-7).
McLennan 5, Grayson 4
McLennan 300 001 010 – 5 15 0
Grayson 211 000 000 – 4 10 1
Shane Daughety, Connor Heffron (6) and Josh Breaux. Gabe Constantine, Slater Foust (5), Taylor Floyd (8) and Andrew Miller. WP: Heffron; LP: Foust. Leading hitters – McLennan: Josh Breaux (4-5, 2B, 3B), Keaton Milford (2-5, 2 RBI) and Mitchell Caskey (2-5, 3 RBI); Grayson: Clayton Rasbeary (1-5, RBI), Jackson Glenn (2-4, 2RBI) and Cordell Dunn Jr. (1-4, RBI). Record: McLennan 34-14 (19-7).