Posted: Thu, 27 May 2010 06:50 AM - 10,698 Readers

By: Danny Davis

Corpus Christi Moody had a tough time catching up with Lake Travis' Brad Kuntz on Wednesday. But when their bats did find the baseball, the Trojans cashed in on their opportunities.

Moody overcame 16 Kuntz strikeouts in a 7-3 victory over the Cavaliers. The Trojans used six extra-base hits to win the first game of the best-of-three regional semifinal series.

"We had runners on often enough and when we did, we got some key hits," Moody coach Corky Gallegos said. "He was tough, he was a worthy competitor. But we're competitors, too."

Moody came out swinging against Kuntz, a left-handed senior who has signed with Baylor.

Capitalizing on three first-inning doubles, the Trojans scored three runs to open the game. Moody used a double and a triple in the third inning to score its fourth run.

Down by three runs after the top of the first inning, Lake Travis countered with two doubles and two runs in the bottom of the inning.

After a scoreless second inning, Moody took advantage of a Lake Travis miscue to score what would eventually become the winning run.

With two outs and a runner on second base, Ray Herrera popped a ball up into foul territory. Lake Travis first baseman Jacob Sexton ran down the ball but tripped on the pitcher's mound that was located alongside the first base stands at Wolfe Stadium.

The ball hit the ground and Herrera was kept alive.

Later in the at-bat, the senior catcher drove in pinch runner Matthew McGraw with a triple.

"That's just one of those things that happens," Lake Travis coach Roy Kinnan said.

Lake Travis, playing in the regional semifinals for a third straight season, will attempt to fight off elimination on Friday night.

If necessary, a third game will be played Saturday.

Elsewhere

Abilene Wylie 3, Burnet 2: Trailing by a run, Burnet (26-9) left the bases loaded in the seventh inning as Wylie (23-12) escaped with a victory in the opener of a Class 3A playoff series.

Emil Litterer's RBI groundout cut Wylie's lead to 3-2 in the final inning, but Reid Strong escaped from a one-out, bases-loaded jam. Strong struck out Ryan Rundzieher before retiring Travis Hoffmeister on a groundout.

The teams will play Game 2 of the best-of-three regional semifinal on Saturday in Brownwood. If necessary, a third game would follow after the conclusion of the preceding game.

Softball

Needville 1, La Grange 0: Cally Falls blanked visiting La Grange, striking out seven, as Needville (28-11) won the opening game of a Class 3A regional championship series.

*  Story Contributed by: Danny Davis