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Home / Sports News / Not one Graham, but two, as Garrett and Cristofer come through with the big blows in respective wins for Texas West over Texas East, and Santa Fe over New Mexico’s state champions

Not one Graham, but two, as Garrett and Cristofer come through with the big blows in respective wins for Texas West over Texas East, and Santa Fe over New Mexico’s state champions

The host Monsters bow out after Sunday’s loser’s bracket to Texas East at St. Michael’s, and the Monday championship matches the two Longhorn State rivals

Arnie Leshin

By ARNIE LESHIN, Santa Fe Today

Graham Crackers, anyone? If not, how about the heroics of Garrett and Cristofer Graham snacks of long balls, the key ingredients in Sunday’s Southwest Little League Baseball Regional played at St. Michael’s.

These Grahams don’t know each other, but first Garrett’s solo home run in the top of the seventh inning brought undefeated Texas West a 5-4 squeaker over Texas East in game one, then it was Christofer supplying the heroics with a bases-learing double that produced a 7-4 win for host Santa Fe over the New Mexico state champions in game two.

With these results, the Texas West team from Abilene Wylie Little League moved into Monday morning’s finals. It will need but one victory over the Texas East team from Houston’s West University LL, after it took charge following the long rain delay.

Texas East up with Santa Fe in the third game of the day, and with Texas East cruising to a 4-0 lead in the third inning, the skies emptied at 4:30, and when it began to pour, the contest was halted, the teams hustled to dryer land, and the mound and home plate were covered.

West University won as it pleased in gaining the 9:30 a.m. final, but may be pitching problems its hurlers had to struggle to make the Region’s overall pitch count.

And if it can win game one over Texas West, it will have to return at the noon hour to figure out who has the legal innings to face the Wyle LL team that is in better shape in the pitching department because of less games.

Whatever develops on the final day will follow on the heels of Texas West’s dramatic win after Texas East overcame a 4-0 deficit by scoring four times in the bottom of the fifth frame.

With the boys from West University now having the momentum, up stepped Graham in the top of the seventh.

With two out, he caught a high fastball and deposited it over the left field fence for his team’s third of the Regional. On the day, Graham drove home an earlier run with a fifth inning single, and the right-hander relieved in the seventh to secure the exciting victory.

Texas East did get a lead-off walk from Landon McKelvey, but Graham then retired East’s best player, Connor Bartlett, on a fly ball to left, Aiden Bernardy on a grounder to first, and Kirk Walker on a strikeout to end the tense game between the Longhorn State rivals.

First the home run.

“It was a first-pitch fastball,” he said, “and I just connected and knew it was going far. When it went over the fence, I was very happy rounding the bases. It was my third of the season, but the most important.”

Then the relief pitching, of which he admitted he was nervous.

“Well,” he said, “hadn’t been pitching much. I injured my elbow at state, and couldn’t throw. But I felt better during the week and today I used my curveball and had good control.”

With the final pitch that caught the inside corner of the plate, he joined with his teammates to celebrate Wylie Little League’s first-ever march to the Regional final.

“Yes,” said Texas West manager Damon Albus, “I felt this was our most important game ever. I told the kids that and they responded.”

Standing alongside Graham was teammate Riley Hood, who hit his first home run of the campaign with a 2-run shot that cleared the fence in left and brought a 4-0 lead after scoring once each in the third and fourth innings.

“It was my first,” Hood said, “and it was special. I went after a high, inside fastball on a 0-1 pitch, and was overjoyed to contribute with a big hit.”

But Texas East finally got to Piland in the last of the fifth.

It scored four runs on three hits, a walk and two hit-batsmen. The big blow came on Landon McKelvey’s two strike shot to the gap in the right-center for a double that scored three runs.

In the sixth, it had a chance to take the lead, but little Max Rofwang led with with a walk and was nailed at the plate after stealing second, racing to third on a fielder’s choice at second, and then tagging up on a fly out to left.

Let’s not forget the other Graham, Cristofer. He had the big blow in this statement win by the host team over the state champions.

He hit a full-count fastball with the bases full for a double that went into the gap in left-center. That broke a 4-4 tie after the Monsters held the boys from Calsbad scoreless since they took a 4-0 lead after two frames.

Graham also turned in a masterful job on the mound as the right-hander struck out five, walked three, and allowed four hits.

“I just wanted to bring in some runs,” he said, “and to score three was even better. I was happy, excited.”

Not bad for a youngster who had been playing ball since T-ball at the age of 5.

And not good for the state champs from Carlsbad when it came time to do the usual hand-shakes after the game.

It was revealed that they were nasty, so disrespectful that they said ugly, uncalled-for remarks to the Santa Fe team that truly earned this victory, a team that came into this Region having played its last game on July 8 in the District 1 championship.

But after the rain cleared, it was the Monsters falling behind Texas East, 14-0, and it concluded a campaign that saw them win a Regional contest for the first time. They were a bunch of kids who brought cheers from their fans and respect from the other teams, except for the Shorthorn nasty send-off.

Logan Lachermeier at bat for the Colorado state champions from High Plains Little League- Photos taken by Tre Jackson

 

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