COLEMAN – The Bangs Dragons erupted for nine runs in the top of the sixth inning to rally past the Coleman Bluecats for a 11-4 victory Thursday afternoon and the District 7-2A baseball championship outright.

Trailing 4-1 at the start of the sixth inning, Bangs’ Skylar Minshew led off with a single, Zack Ferguson walked with one out and Devean Greaves delivered an RBI single to cut the deficit to 4-2. Jaxon Duncan followed with another RBI base hit to close the gap to 4-3 ahead of a walk by Brayden Gatlin. Conner Bible’s two-RBI single then pushed the Dragons in front, 5-4, while Hunter Crowell followed with a base hit. With two down, Minshew singled up a pair of runs to extend the lead to 7-4, then Kenny Cole was plunked by a pitch ahead of a two-RBI double from Ferguson. Cole later crossed the plate after a wild pitch to extend the advantage to 10-4.

Bangs tacked on a final run in the top of the seventh inning, and pushed across its first run of the game in the top of the fifth.

The Dragons (16-8, 10-2) finished the game with 11 hits – three each by Crowell and Minshew, two by Bible, and one apiece by Ferguson, Greaves, and Duncan. Minshew, Ferguson and Bible recorded two runs apiece, while Duncan, Greaves and Crowell chalked up one RBI each.

On the mound, Cole went the distance and gave up two earned runs on four hits with seven strikeouts and no walks.