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Costly miscues: Errors doom Boyd in loss to Plano West
By Richard C. White, rwhite@starlocalnews.com
PLANO -- Despite a resilient comeback effort, the McKinney Boyd baseball team collapsed under the weight of its own errors Friday night as the Plano West Wolves grabbed the 9-3 district victory.
"We got to play defense and make the routine plays," said Brooke Court, McKinney Boyd head coach. "If we don't do that, it gets us into trouble. Plano West is a good team, but if not for the errors we could have been in this one. You can't give up eight unearned runs. It's hard to win a ballgame that way."
Boyd falls to 8-8 on the year and 0-2 in District 10-5A while Plano West improves to 8-5-1 and 2-0 in district.
The Wolves got the night going when catcher senior Connor Smith singled in the game's first run in the first. West tacked on another run in the second and two more in the third as they gradually built a 4-0 lead. A pair of throwing errors by the Broncos contributed to the two runs the Wolves scored in the third.
"It's big to capitalize [on their errors]," Clark said. "Just because it keeps your guys into it and it lets the other team know if they don't make their plays, that you're going to take advantage of it, which can put that much more pressure on them."
Sensing the game was slipping away, the Broncos collected themselves and stormed back with a three-run fourth inning. Left fielder Will Hollis knocked in Boyd's first run on an RBI single to right.
The Broncos then scored on a balk by Wolves sophomore starter Preston Betz. An infield scoring and a fielder's choice would follow, as Boyd had suddenly cut a 4-0 deficit to just one run at 4-3.
"I liked the at bats there," Court said. "We had some very competitive at bats that were great. We were able to put the ball in play and I liked the competitive spirit we got from dugout, too."
Not to be outdone, the Wolves came out stronger in the bottom of the fourth, reclaiming all three of the runs they had lost.
"The only thing I was worried about was that momentum shift," Clark said. "[Senior designated hitter] Billy McKinney said it best. He said, 'Coach, we got to win this inning. We've won every inning, now we have to win this one.' He rallied them up himself and they went back out and got those three runs back."
West would score twice more in the sixth for the 9-3 win.
Although Friday night's game didn't go the Broncos' way, Court is encouraged by the overall level of play he's seen from his team this season.
"It's going pretty good and the guys are playing hard," he said. "We got some things that haven't turned our way, but all in all we've adjusted to the new district and are excited about it."
Court knows district wins won't come easy now that the Broncos find themselves back amidst their Plano ISD rivals due to recent realignment.
"I think we'll fuse a little bit better as we go, especially since we're in a very tough district," he said. "With this new district, there's nothing that's going to be given to you. You have to earn it. And I expect them to answer that call."
A slew of players have stepped up to lead the Broncos this spring.
"We have got great senior leadership at several positions," Court said. "And we have got some good pitchers that can keep us in some games and we've had some pleasant surprises of players who have stepped up."
At the forefront of Boyd's leadership is shortstop Russell Williams and third baseman Jacob Laster.
"Russell at shortstop is a good leader," Court said. "He's one of the kids every coach wants. He leads by example. Jacob at third base is also there for this team, the same as Russell. They do the right things on and off the field."
Another player who has impressed Court this season is outfielder Jalen Jackson.
"A great surprise for us is our senior right fielder Jalen," Court said. "He leads the team in hitting right now. He's really taken the starting position and run with it. He won that position."
Although their first two contests didn't go their way, the Broncos stand firm in their resolve to contend for the district title in their remaining fourteen games.
"Our expectations are always high," Court said. "We preach to the guys that it's about us, it's not about worrying about our opponents. It's about our execution and ability to drive in runs. Our expectations are high."
As Boyd prepares for its 7:30 p.m. Tuesday road game against Plano Senior, Court is confident his players are on the verge of finding their rhythm.
"As coaches we keep talking to the kids about competing and believing in themselves," Court said. "We know they can get it done. I expect them to adjust and to compete every pitch and every at bat."
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