High school baseball: No at-bats this season for this Bullard pitcher? He comes through
Owen Thomas said he never got a chance to get an at-bat this season.
Even last season.
He just waited for his time to come.
That came Thursday in the Central Section Division I high school baseball quarterfinals for Bullard High when he hit a run-scoring double that gave the fourth-seeded Knights a 4-3 victory over No. 5 Frontier.
“I don’t have blood blisters for nothing.” Thomas said. “I’ve been in the cages working my butt off hoping for a chance and I got it right there.”
Thomas finished the job when he struck out two batters in the top of the seventh inning, including a punchout to end the game.
Bullard trailed 3-1 before scoring three runs in the sixth inning.
The Knights will next face top-seed Clovis West in the semifinals on Tuesday.
Thomas said he was given the green light to swing away by Knights coach Tom Donald.
“I said ‘I got you coach,’” he said. “He said wait for the first strike then I can swing. I took the first strike and I saw it sitting right there and that’s all I trained myself to do. I just go middle way and I put one into the gap, little floater over there.”
Central Section playoffs
Baseball
Thursday’s quarterfinals
Division I
No. 1 Clovis West 6, No. 9 Centennial 3
No 4 Bullard 4, No. 5 Frontier 3
No. 11 Clovis North 7, No. 14 Madera 1
No. 2 Liberty-Bakersfield 8, No. 7 Stockdale 1
Tuesday’s semifinals
No. 4 Bullard at No. 1 Clovis West
No. 11 Clovis North at No. 2 Liberty-Bakersfield
Division II
No. 9 Atascadero 3, No. 1 Cabrillo 2
No. 5 St. Joseph 7, No. 4 Ridgeview 5
No. 6 Lemoore 4, No. 14 Fresno 2
No. 2 Bakersfield Christian 8, No. 7 Sierra Pacific 0
Tuesday’s semifinals
No. 9 Atascadero at No. 5 St. Joseph
No. 6 Lemoore at No. 2 Bakersfield Christian
Division III
No. 8 Edison 5, No. 16 El Diamante 4
No. 3 Central Valley Christian 11, No. 11 Exeter 3
Friday
No. 5 Fowler 2, No. 4 Porterville 1
No. 2 Kingsburg 6, No. 10 Garces 5
Tuesday’s semifinals
No. 8 Edison at No. 5 Fowler
No. 3 Central Valley Christian at No. 2 Kingsburg
Division IV
No. 1 Liberty-Madera Ranchos 7, No. 9 Reedley 1
No. 12 Monache 7, No. 13 Dinuba 6
No. 3 Mission Oak 14, No. 11 Golden West 1
No. 7 Independence 2, No. 2 Taft 1
Tuesday’s semifinals
No. 12 Monache at No. 1 Liberty-Madera Ranchos
No. 7 Independence at No. 3 Mission Oak
Division V
No. 1 Torres 7, No. 9 Foothill 3
No. 5 Sierra 17, No. 13 East 13
No. 3 Shafter 3, No. 11 Wasco 1
No. 10 Firebaugh 4, No. 2 Yosemite 3
Tuesday’s semifinals
No. 5 Sierra at No. 1 Torres
No. 10 Firebaugh at No. 3 Shafter
Division VI
No. 1 Woodlake 6, No. 8 Orange Cove 1
No. 5 Lindsay 2, No. 13 Rosamond 1
No. 6 South 9, No. 14 Mendota 1
No. 2 Chavez 1, No. 7 California City 0
Tuesday’s semifinals
No. 5 Lindsay at No. 1 Woodlake
No. 6 South at No. 2 Chavez
