By JUSTIN RAINS
Palestine Herald-Press
ROUND ROCK — Time after time during this postseason run, the Elkhart Elks were able to fight back from deficits.
To even get here, Elkhart had to win a come-from-behind Game 1 in the regional finals, just to name one.
The Elks comeback magic ran out here at Dell Diamond Wednesday, as they fell, 3-2, in 13 innings to Jarrell, after pulling off one last comeback in the bottom the 7th.
In the top of the 13th, relief pitcher Jacob Cheatham quickly got two out before Aaron Burns came to the plate.
Burns, who had started the game but was pulled in the seventh, lifted a ball down the left field line that Elkhart outfielder Trevor Flores made a dive for.
His dive fell short, and the ball got by him to allow Burns to get all the way to third with a triple.
Travis Cockerham, the next bat, sent an 0-1 pitch just past the dive of second baseman Brian Johnson to score Cockerham and put the Cougars up 3-2.
Elkhart had a chance to even the game in the bottom of the frame, when Jordan White hit what appeared to be a routine single to left-centerfield.
But, White rounded first and ran through a stop sign toward second, where he slid in safely.
White made another gutsy baserunning move one batter later when, with two outs, he broke for third on a ball bobbled by Jarrell catcher Landon Ledbetter.
Ledbetter’s throw to third was there in time, but White’s slide dislodged the ball and put him on third with two outs and two strikes to Brian Johnson.
But, Morgan Cooper — who had relieved Burns to start the eighth — threw a strike that Johnson watched all the way for the final out.
Elkhart was down to its final out in the seventh trailing 2-1, when Cole Brides came to bat against Burns with Brian Johnson at third.
With the count at 1-and-1, Bridges poked a single the other way to right field, scoring Johnson and extending the game a little longer.
Elkhart threatened once in the extra frames, when Tyler Tutt led off the 12th with a single to left-center. But, he was erased trying to steal second after Flores pulled back a bunt attempt.
Flores went on to strike out, but Cole Bridges got to second on an error to put another runner in scoring position.
Jarrell walked Cam Reeves to face Cheatham, who grounded to second but was barely beaten to the bag by the throw from Burns.
The loss ends the Elks season at 36-5, while Jarrell (26-4) moves on to face Bushland (31-6-1) for the Class 2A state title today at noon. Bushland defeated Brock, 1-0, in eight innings.
Jarrell got its first two runs in the fourth with only one hit.
After a groundout to start the inning, Ledbetter walked and then moved to third on a single by Cooper in the next at-bat.
Ledbetter came in to score on a groundout to first by Burns, and then things got weird.
Reeves then induced a groundball to short from Travis Cockerham, but Cheatham, playing second, touched second to try and force an out that wasn’t there, and by the time he threw to first it was too late.
Meanwhile, Cooper was rounding third, and White’s throw wasn’t in time to get him at home.
Elkhart answered almost immediately, scoring a run of its own in the bottom half of the fifth.
Levi Smith delivered a one-out single, then moved to second on White’s walk.
The next batter, Zach Smith, hit a ball into the hole between second and first, but Cooper, the Cougars’ second baseman, made a nice play to get to the ball.
His throw, however, was wide and got away from first baseman Cockerham, allowing Levi Smith to score and White to move to third.
White was immediately erased on a squeeze-bunt attempt by Johnson in the next at-bat.
Johnson got the bunt down between the pitcher’s mound and third, but Burns made a nice play to get to the ball quickly and get the ball to Ledbetter at home to nab White.
———
Sports editor Justin Rains can be reached via email at jrains@palestineherald.com
