Pirates top Hornets in pitching duels

DENTON – Two of the best pitching staffs in the region met in Denton this week, and it took late drama to settle the series.

The Collinsville baseball team defeated Muenster 3-1 Wednesday and 1-0 Thursday to advance to the regional quarterfinals.

Collinsville (26-5-1) starters Rylan Newman and Logan Jenkins held the Hornets to one run on six hits in the two games.

Collinsville coach Derrick Jenkins said Newman and Logan Jenkins have become great friends, not just pitchers.

“When you got two guys who love each other, that work together and push each other every day, you kind of get the results that you get,” Jenkins said. “They just push each other every day. Rylan is unbelievable, and once he gets it done, Logan just tries to follow suit and just does what he’s supposed to do.”

Muenster (24-11-1) starters Seth Stoffels and Gredan Wolf allowed two earned runs in two games, but the Hornets’ hitters couldn’t take advantage.

Muenster coach Josh Wheeler said though his pitchers played well, the Hornets haven’t been a great hitting team this season.

“I felt like in game one, their speed made the difference,” Wheeler said. “We just couldn’t get a run across. It was tough to get a run across, and we didn’t get hits at the right time. We just gave them that (second) game.”

Newman was one out away from a no-hitter Wednesday. The Pirates led 3-0 in the top of the seventh inning with two outs when Colton Deckard hit a ball into left field, scoring Casen Carney. The next hitter walked, but Newman got the final out to take a 1-0 series lead. Cash Morgan and Garrett Trevino had RBIs for Collinsville.

Newman finished with 11 strikeouts and four walks. Stoffels allowed one earned run on four hits with six strikeouts and five walks. Both went the distance.

Each side tallied five hits in game two, but the score remained 0-0 until the seventh inning. Wolf got two outs against the first three hitters, but at 111 pitches, he had reached the pitch count limit and couldn’t try for the final out.

The top of Collinsville’s lineup drew three-straight walks against the bullpen, allowing Peyton Davidson to score what would be the winning run. Logan Jenkins retired the Hornets in order in the bottom of the seventh to clinch the series.

Jenkins said if not for the pitch count limit, Wolf probably would have gotten through the seventh and sent the game to extra innings.

“Luck went our way,” Jenkins said. “I can’t say we played better than them, they played better than us. Just, somebody had to win.”

Logan Jenkins finished with four strikeouts and one walk. He said he had a few nerves in the seventh with only a one-run lead, but he knew the Pirates could finish it.

“I had trust in my guys,” he said. “I know they had trust in me, so it gave me the confidence to go in there and just throw strikes, let them play defense behind me.”

Wolf stuck out six and walked four.