Lake Belton Baseball sweeps North Mesquite; McKinney North awaits Region semifinal

May 15, 2025

By Tony Adams

The Lake Belton Broncos baseball team traveled to Corsicana last Thursday to take on the North Mesquite Stallions in the Class 5ADiv. 1 Area Round.

The Broncos outpaced the Stallions in game one, 12-2, and won by a nose in game two, 8-6, in nine innings.

“It was another great series where our guys battled from beginning to end,” Lake Belton head coach Chris Peacock said. “North Mesquite has a solid team and to come away with a sweep indicates how hard we battled.”

Lake got off to an early offensive start against the Stallions. Bryce Davis scored on Cooper Mees’ sacrifice fly in the bottom of the first.

In the top of the second, the Stallions tied the game on a bases-loaded walk to Brendan Rees from a 13-pitch atbat. Jacob Hardage singled home Christopher Salas to give North Mesquite a 2-1 lead.

The Broncos answered in the bottom of the second to retake the lead. Rohde Smith’s sacrifice bunt scored Braxtan Cope and Cole Mikulas scored on a double play.

Lake posted a five-run third inning to open a six-run lead. Kaden Ward singled home Zavian Rodriguez, Mikulas’ single scored Ward and Mees, and RJ Hunt doubled home Mikulas and Brent Thomson.

The Broncos slammed the door in game one with a four-run fifth. Smith doubled home Thomson and Mikulas, Smith scored on a wild pitch, and Ty Green singled in Hunt to end the game in run-rule fashion.

Mikulas went 3-for3 with two runs batted in, Smith had two hits and three runs batted in, and Cope went 2-for-3.

Brandon Holley picked up the game one win, pitched five innings, allowed two runs on five hits, struck out four and walked one.

James Hernandez took the loss for the Stallions, having pitched 2 1/3 innings, allowed eight runs on night hits, walked three, and struck out one. Jeremiah Berumen pitched 1 2/3 innings of relief, allowed four runs (three earned) on three hits, and two walks.

Hernandez gave North Mesquite the lead in the opening inning of the second game with a two-run double.

Smith put the Broncos on the scoreboard in the second inning on Smith’s single that scored Ward.

The score stayed 2-1 until the top of the sixth when Mikula’s ground out scored Jori Holland to tie the game. Hunt singled home Cope to put Lake out front, and Davis’ double plated Hunt and Smith increase Lake’s lead to three, 5-2. They extended the lead to four in the top of the seven when a balk by Eric Hernandez scored Mikulas.

Eric Hernandez’s basesclearing triple and Miguel Perez’s game-tying single forced the game into extra innings.

In the top of the ninth. Mikula’s broke the tie with a double that scored Ward. Colby Anthony’s single scored Mikulas to lift the score to 8-6.

The Stallions loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth with a walk, single, and hit-by-pitch. Kellen Scarborough fanned Perez and induced a flyout by Damien Richardson to Ward to end the series.

Ward, Hunt, and Cameron Bartz each had two hits in Lake’s 11-hit output. Mikulas and Davis each had two hits.

Maverik Maddux pitched 6 2/3 innings, allowed six runs on six hits, hit two batters, struck out seven and walked two. Ely Vaughan pitched 1 2/3 innings of relief for the win, allowed one hit and one walk. Scarborough picked up the save, having pitched 2/3 inning, hit a batter, and struck out one.

James Hernandez and Eric Hernandez each had two hits.

Perez earned a nodecision, pitched 6 2/3 innings, allowed five runs (four earned) on eight hits, hit three batters, struck out 10 and walked one. Eric Hernandez took the loss, pitched two innings, allowed three runs (two earned) on three hits, walked three, and walked three.

The Broncos will take on McKinney North in the UIL Class 5A-Division 1 Region Semifinal at Alvarado.

Game one will be Thursday at 7:30 pm, game two will be on Friday at 7 pm, and game three, if necessary, will be Saturday at 2 pm. The winner will take on the Frisco ReedyMidlothian series winner in the UIL Class 5A Division I Region II final next week. Their series will be played Thursday and Friday at Dallas Baptist University.