Story by Dalen Jensen
The Cactus Jacks closed out Howard Payne University baseball’s fall schedule with a statement, sweeping the Thunderbuddies 2–0 to capture this year’s Blue vs. Gold World Series at Don Shepard Park. The Blue vs. Gold series is an annual intersquad event during the fall semester.
Moving into the spring semester, Head Coach Stephen Lynn has high hopes for the team.
“As we move into the offseason and early part of next year, we’re going to lean on our players to continue their individual journeys of becoming better players,” Lynn said. “The performances demonstrated during our fall World Series games provide excitement for our upcoming season.”
The series highlighted key players for the Yellow Jackets, including MVP of the series, third baseman Josh Lile, junior business major from New Braunfels.
OVERVIEW
Key moments in the series came from both teams, with several players making key contributions. For the Cactus Jacks, Josh Lyle hit two home runs, while Huston Cornish and Tyler George drove in multiple runs to support their offense. Luke Watkins and Kaleb Kuligowski both provided the Jacks with strong starts on the mound, limiting the Thunderbuddies’ offense. The Thunderbuddies showed some offensive promise with consistent contributions from Braiden Hurlbutt and Hunter Rasnick-Pope, and had strong relief performances from Dre Garcia in Game 1 and Bryce Kolb in Game 2. Despite these efforts, they were unable to overcome the consistent Cactus Jacks pitching staff and offense, resulting in a 2–0 series sweep.
GAME 1
The Jacks broke it open in the top of the second inning when Josh Norris singled up the middle to bring in a run.
However, the lead didn’t last long. Freshman Braiden Hurlbutt answered for the Thunderbuddies with an RBI single through the left side, tying the game at one apiece.
After a scoreless third inning from both starting pitchers, Luke Watkins and Trevor Rangel, the Cactus Jacks struck again in the top of the fourth. Josh Lile led off the inning with a solo home run, followed by back-to-back two-out doubles from junior Huston Cornish and John Garza, extending the lead to 3–1.
The game remained a stalemate over the next three frames as Thunderbuddies freshman pitcher Dre Garcia settled in, tossing three shutout innings with three strikeouts, no walks, and no earned runs. Cactus Jacks sophomore Cody Morris matched the effort with two scoreless frames of his own, allowing just two hits.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Thunderbuddies mounted a late comeback attempt, scoring one run on a passed ball and loading the bases. But their rally came up just short as junior Caden Beck entered in relief, striking out the final two batters to secure the 3-2 win for the Cactus Jacks.
John Garza, senior captain of the Cactus Jacks, said, “I knew we were going to get it. I knew we were going to win.”
GAME 2
The Thunderbuddies struck first in Game 2 after an RBI single by Ty Phillips in the second inning. However, the Cactus Jacks responded in grand fashion, as Josh Lyle led off the bottom of the second with his second home run of the series to tie the game.
The Jacks continued their offensive surge, scoring five more unanswered runs. A two-RBI single by Tyler George and a two-RBI double from Huston Cornish gave them a commanding 6–1 lead in the bottom of the second.
The score remained steady through the next few innings thanks to strong relief outings from Thunderbuddies pitcher Bryce Kolb and Cactus Jacks reliever Nate Heredia. In the bottom of the fifth, the Cactus Jacks added their seventh and final run when Tyler George struck again with an RBI single.
The Thunderbuddies showed some fight in the sixth, rallying for two runs after RBI singles from Hunter Rasnick-Pope and Braiden Hurlbutt. However, the comeback fell short as the Cactus Jacks held on for a decisive 7–3 victory, securing both the game and the series.
After the Game 2 victory senior Co-Captain Kaleb Kuligowski said he was confident in his team.
“From day one in the draft room, I knew I was confident in these guys. It was really great to grow a connection with these guys and get to play some competitive baseball. I could not be more proud of this team, and it was just a great way to end my last full World Series,” he said.
SERIES MVP
- Josh Lile: 3-6, 2 HRs, 2B, 2 RBI, BB
CACTUS JACKS STANDOUTS
- Tyler George: 2-4, 2 RBI
- Huston Cornish: 2-6, 3 RBI, 2 BB
- Luke Watkins: 3 IP, 2 H, 1 ER
- Kaleb Kuligowski: 3 IP, 1 R, 1 H
THUNDERBUDDIES STANDOUTS
- Braiden Hurlbutt: 2-4, BB, RBI
- Hunter Rasnick-Pope: 2-7, 2B, 2 RBI, R
- Dre Garcia 3 IP, 3 K 0 ER 0 BB
- Trevor Rengal: 3 IP, 1 K 1 ER