Cervantez Two Run Triple Gets Levelland by Bushland

The Levelland Lobos got a two run triple from Alex Cervantez in the fifth on Monday and the two out knock got the Lobos by the Bushland Falcons seven-to-five. The win moves the Lobos to 11-and-seven on the season with three left before district.

Levelland would get on the board in the first when Joel Pena reached on an error and Marco Guillen would single behind him. Pena would score on a Rusty Johnson double and Guillen crossed on a RBI groundout from Blake Klose putting Levelland in front two-to-nothing after one inning.

Bushland would get a run back in the top of the second when Brecken Adams reached second on a Levelland error, went to third on a passed ball and crossed on a Bushland double steal cutting the Lobo lead in half by the bottom of the second.

Levelland got two more in the second when Rance Massey and Noah Tienda both reached on errors and with one scoring on a Joel Pena groundout and the second scoring on a wild pitch. Through two innings the Levelland Lobos led four-to-one.

Levelland got their fifth run in the third on a Blake Klose solo homerun to right. His second homerun of the year and second RBI on the day put the Lobos up five-to-one after three and they would need all of that plus a little.

Bushland filled the gap in the top of the fourth as Stratton Molloy would reach to start the inning hit by a pitch and promptly score on a triple from Jace Dawson. Dawson would cross on a sac fly from Cannon Melban and Bushland cut the lead to Levelland 5, Bushland three with one out in the fourth. Ty Purcell would walk and Colton Reynolds would single before Max Rodriguez drove in Purcell on a single and Reynolds would score on a Lobo error. Before the dust settled, Bushland got four across and tied the game at five-to-five into the bottom of the fourth.

That score held until the bottom of the fifth.

Marco Guillen would reach on his second single of the day and Rusty Johnson would climb on behind him reaching on a fourth Bushland error. Levelland would be second and first with nobody out and looked primed for a big inning. That was before the Falcons would record back-to-back strikeouts and the rally looked like it might die.

Alex Cervantez had another idea. On a one-two pitch Cervantez laced a bases clearing triple into the right-center alley and the two RBI hit put Levelland in front seven-to-five to the top of the sixth.

Bushland would get a base runner in both the sixth and seventh but crossed neither and Levelland hung on for the seven-to-five win moving the Lobos to 11-and-seven on the year.

Levelland got seven runs on ten hits with two errors and left six while Bushland got five runs on six hits, committed four errors and left seven on.

Brayden Moore started for Levelland but didn’t factor into the decision. He would toss three and a third allowing five runs with three earned on three hits, four walks, a hit batter and four strikeouts. Carson Boggs would take the win while tossing three and two-thirds of shutout baseball. He would surrender three hits, one walk and fanned four.

Bushland starter Josh Bass was the hard luck chuck loser giving up seven runs with just two earned across five frames. That came on seven hits, no walks and eight strikeouts. Cannon Melban tossed an inning of scoreless relief despite giving up three hits and striking out two.

The Levelland Lobos are 11-and-seven on the year with three to play before district opens.

Levelland heads for Denver City on Tuesday March 14th before hosting Tulia March 21st and Portales on March 25th. District play opens hosting San Angelo Lakeview on the 28th.

Catch Lobo Baseball on Tuesday from Denver City with Lobo Pregame Show starting at 11:30am on KLVT AM1230, http://www.klvtradio.com and on Levelland Sports Nation on Facebook.