Combined team advances to sectional playoff

By Sam Waller

The combined Albany-Breckenridge Intermediate All-Star team swept its way to the District 5 championship last week, advancing to sectional play.

In other postseason action, Albany’s Minor All-Stars saw their run come to an end after five games.

The Intermediate team, which is going by the name Hubbard Creek Rangers, went 3-0 in winning the four-team double-elimination bracket.

The Rangers beat a combined Wylie/Dixie team 3-0 on Tuesday, June 21, then run-ruled a combined team from Abilene’s Northern, Southern, and Eastern leagues 19-1 in four innings on Wednesday, June 22. Hubbard Creek clinched the title by again beating Wylie/Dixie 17-6  in five innings on Friday, June 24.

All three games were played at Breckenridge.

Albany players on the team are Graham Ceder, Clay Chapman, Colter Edgar, and Aiden Vickers.

The Rangers will play Southeast Arlington in a best-of-three series in the Section 2 final at Garland’s Rocker B Ranch with the winner advancing to the Texas West state tournament. Game 1 of the series is set for 7:00 p.m. Saturday, July 2, with Game 2 at 4:30 p.m. Sunday, July 3. Game 3, if necessary, will start at 7:00 p.m. Sunday.

Sectional games are being broadcast on 93.5-FM and can be followed on the GameChanger app.

The Texas West state tournament will be played July 13-16, at the Wylie Little League complex at Abilene’s Kirby Lake Park.

Albany players had several highlights in the District 5 tournament, including pitching all of the last two games.

In the first game, which was scoreless through three innings, Chapman played shortstop and went 1 for 3. Vickers started in left field before moving to second base, while Ceder and Edgar split time at first base.

In the second game, Chapman went 2 for 3 with a double and a home run, driving in two runs and scoring two. Vickers was 1 for 2 and scored two runs. Ceder and Edgar, who played catcher, each walked and scored a run.

Chapman started on the mound, working one inning and allowing a run on two hits. He struck out one. Vickers pitched a perfect second, and Ceder finished up with two shutout innings, allowing one hit and striking out three.

In the championship game, Ceder pitched four innings for the win, striking out five while giving up five runs on five hits. Vickers finished up with one inning, allowing a run on a hit with one strikeout.

Chapman was 2 for 3 with an RBI and scored twice. Vickers and Edgar each scored a run.

Minors All-Stars

Albany avoided elimination once before suffering its second loss in the District 5 tournament.

Overall, Albany went 3-2 in the 12-team tournament, and was one of the last four teams in contention.

“We got really close but came up a little short,” coach Steven Sutton said. “To be the smallest town to go that far says a lot about the character of our kids and how well they played together.”

Albany defeated  Abilene Northern 11-5 on Tuesday, June 21 at Abilene Southern to move into the final four of the tournament before losing 5-3 to Snyder on Wednesday, June 22 at Wylie.

Against Northern, Patton Smith pitched deep into the game, and Cinch Holson provided a pair of key hits.

“Patton pretty much led the way on that one,” Sutton said. “We burned him to 85 pitches, so he was on the mound most of the way.”

Sutton said Albany received production from throughout the lineup.

“Everyone got up and did their job,” he said. “Everyone hit well in that game, and Cinch had a couple of big hits at key times.”

Against Snyder, Albany struggled offensively.

“Defensively, we did really well,” Sutton said. “We just couldn’t get our bats going that game.”