Brook Hill Gets Past Lake Hamilton (Ark.) in Short Game at Lobo Classic Challenge

LONGVIEW -- The Brook Hill Guard wrapped up their time at the Lobo Classic Challenge with a 4-1 win against Lake Hamilton (Ark.) in what ended up being the final game of the three-day, 15-game event.

The game was called with two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning due to rain and the tournament's final game between Longview and Pine Tree was cancelled.

Brook Hill junior Daniel Priddy pitched a solid game the whole way. He allowed a base hit and a walk while dishing six strikeouts in five innings of work in the 'complete game.'

"He did an excellent job," the Guard's first-year head coach Brock Lemire said. "He had a no-hitter going through four and then the ball got a little wet and the ball started getting up in the air a little bit in the zone. A guy hit a single, but he did a great job. He's been our workhorse with under a 1.00 ERA. I expect him every time to throw a perfect game.

Brook Hill's Clayton Engel is congratulated by his teammates on his way back to the dugout after scoring the Guard's fourth and final run of the game in the top fifth. (Christopher R. Vinn ETSN.fm)

Brook Hill is the three-time defending TAPPS 3A state champion. Playing bigger schools is something the Guard does frequently to prep for district play.

It defeated 4A Pine Tree on Thursday. Lake Hamilton belongs to Arkansas' highest level of competition, 6A.

"It's my job to always put the kids in a place to be successful," Lemire said. "We're kind of figuring out who needs to be where still. Some kids are doing really well and others are struggling. As an overall, baseball is like that. One kid will struggle one day and be the best player in Texas the next. We're doing a great job of learning."

You might remember Lemire from his time at Tyler Junior College and UT-Tyler. He helped Apaches win the 2007 NJCAA World Series. He then attended Lubbock Christian University and subsequently wrapped up his collegiate career with the Patriots.

"Brook Hill is an interesting mix because they'll always have two or three really good players and then your typical high school baseball players," Longview head coach and Lobo Classic Challenge organizer Bernie Martinez said. "I just think it's a different look. Terry Pirtle was there and was a quality coach, so we knew we were going to see quality baseball.

"Brock Lemire played at UT-Tyler. He came in when I was going out there. He does a great job. He's coached a lot with select baseball. I know Brook Hill has always been traditionally a good program. The way I set up our tournament, teams could pick three, four, five, six games. They're good for three games. Whoever gets them is going to get a good quality baseball team."

The Guard (6-6) got things moving immediately.

Lake Hamilton's Gip Burrow fires off a pitch in the fourth inning of Brook Hill's 4-1 win. (© Christopher R. Vinn ETSN.fm)

Jonah Gonzalez reached third base on a left fielder error on the Guard's first at-bat of the game and was batted home by McCray Fletcher the next play.

Fletcher walked in the third inning, Clayton Engel advanced him to second on a base hit and Priddy got a two-RBI single to up the score to 3-0.

Lake Hamilton cut the lead to 3-1 with a run in the fifth inning.

Engel walked in the bottom fifth and Blake Maddox got him home on a base hit after Engel advanced to third via a wild pitch and stolen base to up the score to 4-1.

The game was called due to rain after some field repairs to the mound and home plate proved futile. The players were already stalling.

"We did a good job of bending and not breaking that last inning," Lemire said. "Daniel did a great job on the mound getting the laces and throwing strikes. That's a difficult deal, especially pitching with a slippery ball. Made some mistakes, but had good quality at-bats and played good defense for the most part. We scratched away a good quality win."

Brook Hill's Clayton Engel comes home in the top of the fifth after being knocked in by Blake Maddox. (© Christopher R. Vinn ETSN.fm)