Texas Collegiate League

Fans who attended the inaugural Texas Collegiate League Wood Bat Classic were entertained by a 6-0 Plano win over Duncanville and a 2-1 victory by McKinney over Coppell.

The turnout of college enthusiasts saw a pair of sterling pitching performances as McKinney gained a one-game advantage over Coppell (27-14 to 26-15) in the Tris Speaker Division standings. Seven games remain for both Speaker contenders.

Plano Shuts Out Deputies

The Plano Blue Sox behind the pitching of Paul Schneider (Rhodes College) defeated the Duncanville Deputies 6-0 in game one of the TCL's First Annual Wooden Bat Classic at LaGrave Field in Ft. Worth. Schneider held Deputies batters to just four hit on the night, while striking out 5 and walking two. The Blue Sox bats provided all the run support Schneider would need as Third Baseman Jeff Boes (Texas) hit a 2 run shot over the left field wall in the second to give Plano an early 2-0 lead. After chasing Duncanville starter Kyle Landis (Pitt) from the hill in the second, the Blue Sox added additional runs in the third off reliever Gerald Evan (Texas A&M) and Jayson Rachuig (Texas Wesleyan) in the 5th.

Plano improves to 17-26, while the Deputies fall to 19-24. The Blue Sox are back in action at Graham Field on Tuesday against the Euless LonesStars. Duncanville returns to Panther Field on Monday night to take on the Coppell Copperheads.

McKinney Edges Coppell

In the night cap of the Wood Bat Classic, the McKinney Marshals found enough offense in the first inning to last the entire game, as the Marshals took a one-game lead over the Coppell Copperheads in the Tris Speaker Division with a 2-1 win at LaGrave Field in Fort Worth.

The Marshals wasted no time getting on the board, as an Aaron Grivalja grounder to short scored Michael Richard from third. On the next at-bat, DH Matt Smith (pictured above) took a Jess Todd fastball 350 feet to left field for a solo home run to increase the McKinney lead to two.

Coppell would cut the lead in half in the bottom of the second, as a sacrifice fly from Jeremy Holzbach scored Tyler Hill, narrowing the score to 2-1.

McKinney would threaten several times, as Todd was able to escape jams by stranding two Marshal runners in the third, fourth and fifth innings.

Jonathan Runnels went 6.1 innings, giving up two hits in his fifth win of the season. P Matt Smith picked up his third save. Todd dropped to 4-2.