How Tuesday's rainout led to Coronado pitcher Jared Owens' stellar outing vs Monterey
No one appreciated Tuesday's rain more than Coronado baseball coach Brad Bibb.
Lubbock's downpour caused adjustments to more than the game time. The postponement allowed enough rest for Mustangs ace Jared Owens to start. Had the matchup gone on as scheduled, UIL pitching limits would've barred Owens.
The senior lefty answered the call to vanquish rival Monterey for a second time.
Owens tossed six innings without an earned run in the Mustangs' 2-1 victory Wednesday at Moegle Field. He gave up one hit and notched 11 strikeouts, matching the total from his first start against the Plainsmen on March 22.
Jared Owens shines on the mound
It was an inauspicious start for Owens, a New Mexico Highlands commit. Monterey's Jackson Jolly landed at second base after a leadoff error in the bottom of the first. Consecutive ground-outs scored Jolly, but the Plainsmen couldn't crack the Owens code.
Monterey was hitless until Jolly's infield single in the fifth inning. The Plainsmen's other hit also stayed in the infield.
Owens walked three and hit one batter, which loaded the bases in the third inning. He worked out of the rare jam with a fly out to left field.
"That pressure doesn't hold its weight on me," Owens said. "I knew I was getting out of what I know I should've been doing right there: just throwing strikes, letting them put the ball in play. … I knew I just kind of had to lock in and stay right there."
Not bad for a start Owens learned about less than 90 minutes before first pitch.
Monterey's Ja'Marcus Smith takes tough-luck loss
Owens' outing spoiled a solid performance on the other side. Monterey's Ja'Marcus Smith was difficult to contend with, but the Mustangs did enough damage in their first at-bat.
Coronado recorded two of its five hits in the frame, including an RBI double by Cody Campos. Campos reached third on the hit following an error, and he scored on a passed ball.
Smith threw a complete game, finishing with nine strikeouts, one walk and one hit batter.
"He definitely pitched well enough to win," Monterey coach Ralph Ramon said. "We just couldn't do it offensively. That's what we get from him all the time. He's gonna compete his butt off on the mound."
Coronado picks up crucial win ahead of home stretch
Wednesday marked the beginning of the final third of the District 4-5A slate. Not only did the result bring the Mustangs within a game of fourth-place Monterey, it gave them a 2-1 edge in the series.
With the league's parity, holding a tiebreaker is nothing to take for granted.
"We were up against a wall tonight," Bibb said. "We knew if we didn't win, (our season) was probably done. … The way everybody's been beating everybody, we at least have a chance now."
The balance is shown with three teams tied for first place at 9-4. The Plainsmen are in position for the final playoff berth at 7-6, with the Mustangs (6-7) and Abilene Cooper (5-8) on their heels.
With five games remaining, including three against those at the top, Bibb hopes his team plays with the same urgency.
"We talked about being desperate tonight and fighting for our baseball lives and our playoff lives," Bibb said. "And they did. … We need to play with that desperate mentality to give us a shot from here on out."
DISTRICT 4-5A
Coronado 2, Monterey 1
Coronado 200 000 0 — 2 5 1
Monterey 100 000 0 — 1 2 3
Jared Owens and Caden Vasquez (7). Ja'Marcus Smith. W — Owens. L — Smith. 2B — Coronado, Cody Campos.
Records: Coronado 12-15, 6-7; Monterey 12-14-1, 7-6.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Coronado's Jared Owens pitches gem in win over Monterey baseball
