SAN ANTONIO — With the first district championship in reach for Reagan’s Class of 2014, Rattlers senior Troy Montemayor stepped up with a clutch performance.
Montemayor scattered seven hits and struck out five over seven innings, leading Reagan to a 3-1 victory over Churchill (15-8, 7-4 District 26-5A) on Tuesday night at Blossom Athletic Center.
The Rattlers (23-4, 9-2 District 26-5A) captured a least a share of the district title with one game left in the regular season. Reagan is the top seed regardless of Friday’s outcome against Roosevelt because it holds a tiebreaker against MacArthur (18-9, 9-3) after sweeping the season series.
“We’re really excited,” Montemayor said. “All us seniors have been on varsity three years and now we’ve finally got a district championship. It’s great; it’s what we’ve been working for.”
The right-hander allowed just two runners to advance past first base over the final six innings after giving up a run in the top of the first.
“Troy has been in plenty of those games and he pitched like it today,” Rattlers coach Chans Chapman said. “He goes out there, he throws strikes and makes pitches. He made some big pitches tonight.”
After falling behind 1-0, the Rattlers answered with two runs in the bottom of the first.
Senior Ben Brookover doubled off the right field wall to score Cade Bormet from first base. Brookover would later score on a throwing error into right field after a swinging third strike by Brian Warhurst got past the catcher.
“That (rally) was big,” Chapman said. “They got the first run and kind of had the momentum. That’s something we talk about. When teams do that, you have to bounce back and try to grab it back and we did.”
The Rattlers added a run in the fifth inning on a two-out single to left field by Drew Brooks that scored Jack Thompson.
Reagan also backed Montemayor defensively.
Shortstop Andres Sosa stopped a bounder up the middle with a fully outstretched catch. Sosa was unable to throw to first to get Casey Dobrzynski, but he preserved the 3-1 lead by keeping John Shull from scoring.
“They made big plays with runners on base, and that’s all you can ask for as a pitcher,” Montemayor said. Original article 7 image courtesy of San Antonio Express News.