One big inning spurs Johnson to playoff victory over Cedar Park

For at least a night, Johnson High dispelled the notion that a baseball game cannot be won or lost in the first inning.

The Jaguars, taking advantage of a mountain of Cedar Park miscues, scored four runs in the opening frame of their one-game Class 5A playoff Friday night at Tornado Field on the campus of Concordia University Texas. That was enough for Jaguars pitcher Cody Templeton, who yielded only two hits, struck out 10 and did not walk anyone in a 4-0 victory.

Cedar Park did not get a hit until catcher Louis Alonzo stroked a clean single to center with two outs in the fourth inning. When teammate Cristian Pickens doubled to lead off the fifth, it turned out to be the only time the Timberwolves touched second base.

Johnson (24-10-1) advances to the Class 5A Region IV semifinals to play either Mission Sharyland Pioneer or Corpus Christi Veterans Memorial. Those teams were tied 1-1 in a best-of-three playoff series with the deciding game being played Saturday.

"The team that strikes first can relax a little bit," Johnson coach Mark Durham said. "When the other team gets three up and three down, they can start pressing."

Johnson helped its cause with three hits in the inning, including run-scoring singles by Templeton and first baseman Trace Jansen. Cedar Park senior Adam Vaughn was off his game early, walking one batter and hitting another. He also was charged with a wild pitch and a balk, and the Timberwolves yielded an infield error and a passed ball.

Cedar Park coach Lanny Williams offered no excuses for his team's poor start. He gave credit to Templeton for a well-pitched game and said his team "didn't get any traction going" throughout the night.

"You can call it nerves, call it whatever you want to call it," Williams said. "In baseball, that's how it goes sometimes."

It was an unusual night for the Wolves, who were shut out for the first time all season. Cedar Park had outscored its previous playoff opponents 24-5 in four games, all victories.

Cedar Park (22-9-1) received solid pitching from Vaughn and reliever Kade Davis after the first inning. They combined for eight strikeouts and gave up a total of four hits.

The game's pivotal player was Templeton, who has signed to play at Texas A&M International. He ended the game by retiring the last nine hitters he faced. He said the team is thrilled to remain alive in the playoffs and praised his defense, which did not make an error.

"A lot of dudes don't get this opportunity, but we're still here; everyone's working," Templeton said. "It's all hands on deck. No one wants to stop playing, so we're going to keep working and playing as long as we can."

Templeton was at his best after Cedar Park's Pickens doubled to deep left on the first pitch of the fifth inning. Instead of giving up momentum, Templeton struck out the next three batters, leaving Pickens on second.

"He's been our guy for two years," Durham said. "He's been a dude, man. He doesn't throw real hard, but he manages his pitches and throws them for strikes."

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