WACO, Texas — The comeback kids? More like the comeback Cougars.
After falling 3-0 on Wednesday night against the Taylor Ducks, the China Spring Cougars showed up to Baylor Ballpark on Thursday ready to pounce.
During game two, leading the pack was the master on the mound, Jayden Honey. With temperatures in the 90's, it was a hot day on the diamond and the heat got to Honey. Mid-inning he turns around, pukes and rallies to victory racking in 6 strikeouts and holding Taylor to one run in game two.
The Cougars forced a winner-takes-all game three, but this one not so easy.
It was back and forth all night. The Ducks came out hot in the first inning putting three on the board, but the Cougars bats got hot in the box. China Spring ties it up at 3-3 in the second, then takes the lead and then loses the lead again. It was a battle until the last pitch.
China Spring head coach, Cory Beckham, never stopped believing in his guys and a late start in game three was nothing they couldn't handle.
"I got them together at the end of the second and said 'Guys we are the better team. We are going to score some runs.' Man, we just started hitting and hitting," Beckham said. "We have a tough lineup as it is. It takes a lot to get us out and keep getting us out. We never let anything get to us. We stayed the course. We stuck to the plan and these guys are amazing."
Whether it was trailing by three runs to start game three or heading into game two of the series with a loss under their belt, the Cougars never gave up. They kept pouncing until the very last pitch.
"They just have confidence in themselves," Beckham said. "Their (Taylor's) best pitcher is out. One of our good pitchers is too, but we have a better pitching staff than them. We have amazing hitters. Wouldn't we love to face this team and beat them twice. They have to beat us once. That's a bigger feat than us beating them twice. We're the better team."
The Cougars showed fight and grit in Waco and peaked when they needed it most taking down the Ducks, 14-6.
China Spring now heads to Austin for the second straight year and hopes to flip the script after falling in the semifinals last season.
First pitch is Wednesday at either 1 p.m. or 4 p.m. at UFCU Disch Falk and 6 Sports will have you covered with all of the highlights.
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