Mills, Port Aransas baseball show fortitude in wild win against Refugio

PORT ARANSAS — Stratton Mills may have put together a defining moment for the Port Aransas baseball team this season.

The freshman hurler gave up 10 runs through four innings against undefeated Refugio on Friday night on his home field. But, while his team was digging out of a seven-run deficit, Stratton slowed down the Bobcats for three innings, allowing him and his teammates to climb back into the game.

Stratton ultimately pitched into the seventh inning and he struck out the final two batters he faced before he reached his pitch count. Through the fifth, sixth and seventh innings, Mills retired seven of eight batters he faced before giving way to senior Austin Bepko in an 11-10 come-from-behind District 31-2A win at the Port Aransas Community Park.

The Bobcats (12-1, 3-1 in 31-2A ) didn't score after the fourth inning as the Marlins (9-5-1, 2-2) scored five in the fourth and then two in the seventh to tie the game at 10. Finally in the eighth, Bostyn Wagner's run-scoring single ended the game for the Port Aransas victory, which likely would not have been possible without Mills' fortitude.

"My mentality was just go at them get a first strike, get ahead in the count and see what they can do from there," said Stratton, who pitched 6 2/3 innings, allowing 13 hits along with the 10 runs (seven earned) and had six strikeouts to one walk. "They were putting balls in play, running on us, it was good to keep them off."

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While the pitching line was not pretty, it was an example of the resiliency of the Marlins that coach Brett Gips was hoping to see after district favorite Kenedy run-ruled Port Aransas 17-3 on Tuesday. Gips said he knew the Marlins could come up with enough offense to keep up with the previously undefeated Bobcats, and they did by compiling 14 hits and taking advantage of three Refugio errors. Ultimately, though, it was keeping the Bobcats off the board in the latter innings that proved critical, and may as the season progresses.

"I knew we were going to be in the game because we were getting base hits," said Gips, who is in his first year as the Marlins' head coach. "We were taking what they were giving to us. I just knew if we could put up a couple of zeroes that we would be fine. And the freshman Stratton did it, and then we brought in the senior (Austin) Bepko to finish it out, who I trust in that spot because he's been there before.

"I knew if we could continue to hang around in the ballgame that some things were going to go our way and we just needed a big zero and continue to tacking on some runs."

This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Mills, Port Aransas baseball show fortitude in wild win against Refugio