by Allen Rich
Belton, Texas -- The Dodd City Hornets advance to the UIL State Baseball Tournament next Wednesday in Round Rock after an exciting, extra-innings win over Abbott in the Region II-A finals Tuesday night.
With a trip to state on the line, it took eight innings to pry these two competitive teams apart, but Dodd City junior Zayne Kennon came through with the game-winning base hit with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning to score Braden Vaught from third base for a 6-5 win.
Abbott jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first frame and stretched its lead to 4-0 in the second inning.
After a scoreless third inning, Dodd City got on the scoreboard with a run in the bottom of the fourth frame.
The Hornets stung Abbott for a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth to whittle Abbott's lead down to one run.
Dodd City continued its methodical comeback with one run in the sixth inning to leave the teams all knotted up at 4-4 heading into the seventh inning.
Abbott pulled ahead, 5-4, in the top of the seventh, but Dodd City answered with a run in the bottom half of the frame to tie the game, 5-5, and send it into extra innings.
The Hornets held Abbott scoreless in the top of the eighth, setting up the game-winning heroics by Kennon and Vaught.
Vaught had three hits, drove in a pair of runs and scored twice. Kennon and Gunnar Wilson both had two hits, with Alec Simpson, Kason Carson and Landon Allen all contributing one hit apiece.
Dillon Jones pitched the first 6.2 innings, with Allen coming on in relief with two outs in the top of the seventh to get the win.
The Hornets will head to the state tournament with a 19-5 record.
“These guys empress me more and more each game," said Dodd City head coach Clint Lindsey. "When adversity was staring them down and they could have given up, they battled and give it everything they had. There is no quitting for this team. They are a great bunch of guys and everyone did their part to come out on top tonight. I am proud of them."
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