Abilene Wylie Little League team wins section title, nabs Texas West State tourney berth
A year after sending a team to the Little League World Series, Wylie is back in the Texas West State Tournament.
Jett Wilson’s two-run single snapped a 5-5 tie with two outs in the fifth inning and lifted Wylie to a 7-5 victory over Waco Midway in Little League Division championship game Tuesday at Rocker B Ranch in Graford.
Myles McCarty and Easton Tuley drove in two runs each for Wylie, which went 3-0 in the double-elimination tournament.
Wylie will play the Section 3 champion at 6 p.m. July 15 at the Texas West State Tournament at the Wylie Little League complex at Kirby Lake Park.
“It’s definitely exciting, and we’re excited about hosting as well,” Wylie manager Derek Tuley said. “We’re looking forward to it.”
Midway scored three runs in the top of the third to break open a scoreless game, but Wylie answered with three runs in the bottom of the inning. Wilson led off with a walk, and Louis Januz followed with a hit before McCarty walked to load the bases. Easton Tuley chased two runs home with a single, and two batters after Heston Stanton singled, Easton Tuley scored on a two-out wild pitch.
McCarty hit a two-run homer in the fourth to put Wylie up 5-3.
Midway tied the game with a two-out, two-run double in the top of the fifth.
But Stanton led off the bottom of the fifth with a hit, and Landon Cofer drew a two-out walk. Both runners moved up a base on a passed ball, and Wilson came up with the game-winning hit.
Easton Tuley got the win, allowing four runs on three hits. He struck out eight and walked two in 4⅔ innings. Januz got the save, giving a run on two hits. He struck out three and walked one.
Midway had the tying runs at second and third, when Januz ended the game with a strikeout.
Wylie opened the tournament with a 13-0 win over South Garland on Saturday. Easton Tuley drove in three runs on two hits, while Dillon Bruning and Cofer added two RBIs each.
Bruning and Januz combined on a four-inning no-hitter, striking out nine of the 14 batters faced.
Bruning struck out six and walked two in three innings, while Januz struck out all three batters he faced in the fourth.
Wylie advanced to the title game with a 4-0 victory over Fort Worth University – the team that ended their season in the section tournament as 11-year-olds last year. McCarty had three hits, including a two-run homer, and he also hurled a two-hitter, striking out 12 and walking one in going all six innings.
Ceddrick Lara and Bruning added an RBI each.
Wylie is 7-0 after winning both the District 5 and Section 2 tournaments. The team beat Abilene Eastern 13-0, Abilene Northern 8-2, Cisco 16-0 and Abilene Dixie 5-1 to claim the district crown.
So, Wylie hadn’t been tested much before the section finale, other than the University game.
“The second game we had against Fort Worth was good baseball,” coach Tuley said. “Really good ABs. Not a lot of errors. It was a tight game. … Again, another experience for the guys to have, a good baseball game where the nerves are there, and they can compete. We made lot of good plays in that game and put ourselves in the position today to make a team beat us twice. We were able to get it down the first go round.”
The win also was a bit of redemption. Most of the Wylie players played on the ages 9-11 team last year that saw its season end in sectionals against University.
“There was quite a bit of the same makeup of the team from last year,” Coach Tuley said about the University team. “One of the things we emphasize as a coaching staff is staying within ourselves as far as us controlling our own game plan, our own individual progression as players and a team as well.
“I think we have a team that’s going to go out there and compete against whom ever it is and wherever they’re from. … Ultimately, you have to get out on the field and make plays, and we did that. I thought the guys stepped up a variety of times to do that.”
The Texas West state champion advances to the Southwest Regional, and region champ advances to the Little League World Series.
Wylie 8-10 team wins sectionals
Wylie’s ages 8-10 all-star team also won a Section 2 tournament title to earn a trip to state.
Wylie beat Fort Worth University 5-4 on Monday at Rocker B Ranch to go 3-0 in the double-elimination tournament.
Wylie beat Waco Midway 13-3 in the opener Saturday, before beating University 6-1 in the battle between the last two unbeaten teams. University beat Midway 12-4 to set up the rematch with Wylie.
Wylie plays the Section I champion at 6 p.m. July 15 in the Texas West State Tournament opener at the Wylie Little League Complex. The age group doesn’t advance past state.
A team of Albany and Breckenridge players also will play in the Texas West State Tournament. The Big Country team won the Intermediate Division at the Section 2 tournament, beating Southeast Arlington 19-2 and 20-2 to win the best-of-three series Sunday in Graford.
The Albany/Breckenridge team plays the Section 3 champion at 5 p.m. July 13 at the Wylie Little League Complex.
SECTION 2 LITTLE LEAGUE
All games at Rocker B Ranch, Graford
AGES 8-10 BASEBALL
Friday, July 1, Games
Fort Worth University 15, McKinney 0
Wylie 13, Waco Midway 3
Saturday, July 2, Games
Winners Bracket
Wylie 6, Fort Worth University 1
Losers Bracket
Waco Midway 16, McKinney 1
Sunday, July 3, Games
Losers Bracket
Fort Worth University 12, Waco Midway 4
Monday, July 4, Games
Championship
Wylie 5, University 4 (Wylie advances to Texas West State Tournament)
AGES 9-11 BASEBALL
Friday, July 1, Games
Waco Midway 8, Wylie 5
Fort Worth Westside 17, South Garland 2
Sunday’s July 3, Games
Winners Bracket
Midway 10, Westside 0
Losers Bracket
Wylie 16, South Garland 0
Monday, July 4, Games
Losers Bracket
Westside 4, Wylie 2
Tuesday, July 5, Games
Championship
Midway 7, Westside (Midway advances to Texas West State Tournament)
LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL
Saturday, July 2, Games
Fort Worth University 6, Waco Midway 2
Wylie 13, South Garland 0
Sunday, July 3, Games
Winners Bracket
Wylie 4, Fort Worth University 0
Losers Bracket
Waco Midway 14, South Garland 2
Monday, July 4, Games
Losers Bracket
Midway 7, University 0
Tuesday, July 5, Games
Championship
Wylie 7, Midway 5 (Wylie advances to Texas West State Tournament)
INTERMEDIATE BASEBALL
(Best-of-three series)
Saturday, July 2, Games
Albany/Breckenridge 19, Southeast Arlington 2
Sunday, July 3, Games
Albany/Breckenridge 20, Southeast Arlington 2 (Albany/Breckenridge advances to Texas West State Tournament)
SENIOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
Friday, July 1, Games
Fort Worth Fossil Creek 14, South Garland 5
Saturday, July 2, Games
Fort Worth Fossil Creek 7, Snyder 0
Sunday, July 3, Games
Losers Bracket
South Garland 9, Snyder 7
Monday, July 4, Games
Championship
Fort Worth Fossil Creek 12, South Garland 2 (Fossil Creek advances to Texas West State tournament)
This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Abilene Wylie returns to Texas West State Little League tournament
