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Jackrabbits beat Wall in regional quarterfinal series

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The Bowie Jackrabbits won their regional quarterfinals series against Wall on Saturday after three games.
After winning game one on Thursday 9-5, the Eagles came back to win game two 6-3 before the Jackrabbits run-ruled them in game three 12-0 in six innings.
Wall came into the series as favorites, ranked 10th in the state in 3A despite the team being made up of mostly underclassmen. Bowie showed that type of acclaim would not matter in the first game, leading for most of it before retaking the lead in extra innings to win. After taking Friday off, the teams got together again to play game two on Saturday.
The Jackrabbits hoped they could close the series out with a win and not have it come down to a winner-take-all game three. Kawlyer Swearingin got the start on the mound. Despite giving up a walk and later a balk to move the runner into scoring position, no runs were scored from the Eagles in the first inning.
Bowie put a bit more pressure, with Carson Sanders and Kynan DeMoss drawing two walks. Later Devin Melton hit a groundball to the shortstop that induced an error that allowed one run to score and put the Jackrabbits up 1-0.
Wall got that run back in the second inning. A one out double and a passed ball put a runner on third base with one out. A groundout allowed the runner to score and tie the game at 1-1.
Bowie retook in the lead in the same inning. Logan Hutson got on base with one out thanks to an error at first base. Brody Armstrong followed with a single to left field. An error followed with the fielder trying to scoop the ball up off the ground that allowed runner A.J. Whatley to score after initially stopping at third base. The Jackrabbits led 2-1.
Wall would not go away though. A single and two walks loaded the bases up with one out in the third inning. The next batter hit into a fielder’s choice and was out at first, but it allowed one run to score.
A base hit into right field allowed another run to score for the Eagles. A blooper that just squeezed out of a diving Bowie fielder’s glove allowed an additional run to score, putting Wall up 4-2.
The Jackrabbits looked poised to respond as DeMoss led off with a single and Colton Richey and Swearingin drew walks with two outs to load the bases up. Unfortunately, the next batter popped up to the pitcher for out three.
Bowie responded with its first 1-2-3 inning of the game, with Swearingin striking out two of the three batters he faced. The Jackrabbits again had a chance to score with Armstrong leading off with a single and Sanders later drawing a walk with one out. Unfortunately, the next two batters hit harmless fly balls for outs.
In the fifth inning Wall added to its lead. After a leadoff single, a bunt induced an error to put runners at the corners with no outs. Following a groundout, the next batter hit a lineout to second base for out two. Trying to turn a double play, the throw was off and it allowed the runner at second base to score and put the Eagles up 5-2.
The Jackrabbits had no answer with their bats as the game moved to the sixth inning. Swearingin and the defense had another 1-2-3 inning, with two of the batters striking out. With the bats, Cade Thompson hit a double with two outs to try and spark something, but to no avail as the game went into the final inning.
Richey came in to pitch the final inning. A single and double were hit by the Hawks with one out. A deep fly ball to left field for out two allowed one runner to come in and score to make it 6-2. After a walk, the next batter flew out to centerfield for out three.
Bowie would need a big inning in its final three outs, but the team had put up four runs late in game one two days before. DeMoss and Fallis led off with back-to-back singles to get things going.
Following a fielder’s choice out at second base, Richey hit a deep fly ball for out two that still allowed one run to score and cut the lead to 6-3. Unfortunately, the next batter grounded out to end the game. Wall had tied the series at 1-1.
Despite not playing their best, Bowie had to quickly turn around and play game three 30 minutes after the end of game two. It was a different type of game with winner-take-all on the line.
Neither team had any luck getting anyone on base in the first inning. Bowie had Melton hit a one out single in the second inning only for the next batter to ground out into a double-play.
The Jackrabbits returned the favor in the same inning. The Hawks got two runners on with base hits, only for the inning to end with a double-play from Bowie.
The Jackrabbit bats and some mistakes from Wall got Bowie going in the third inning. Swearingin led off with a double. A sacrifice bunt allowed Swearingin to advance to third base.
Armstrong then hit a groundball that was too hot for the third basemen to handle for an error that led to the first run. Armstrong was able to advance to second on the same play before Thompson drove him in on a single.
Following Sanders hitting a single, DeMoss drove in another run on a base hit. Fallis then grounded out to the shortstop, but it allowed the fourth run to come in to score and put the Jackrabbits up 4-0.
Thompson got the start on the mound and did not allow another base runner in the third or fourth inning. In the fifth inning he allowed his only walk of the game with one out, but was rewarded by his defense again as they pulled off another inning ending double-play.
The sixth inning saw Bowie have an even bigger stretch with its bats. Melton hit a triple with one out.
A passed ball later allowed him to score. A hit batter and two drawn walks allowed the bases to get loaded. Armstrong came through with an infield single to score another run.
A drawn walk and hit batter from Thompson and Sanders allowed two more runs to score. DeMoss then hit a single up the middle to score another run. Fallis followed with a single to right field that drove in two runs. Finally, Melton drove in the final run of the inning on a sacrifice fly ball to right field to make it 12-0.
The Hawks were at a loss as they went through four pitchers in that same inning as the game slipped away.
Up by 10 or more after five innings would signal a stop to the game unless Wall could score three runs or more by the end of the inning.
Thompson and Bowie had too much momentum and retired the three batters with little trouble to end the game.
The Jackrabbits won game three 12-0 and the series 2-1.

To read the full story, pick up a copy of the mid-week edition of the Bowie News.

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Bowie baseball all-district list released

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Edmond DeLeon earned the district’s co-pitcher of the year and was voted by his teammates to win the Cy Young award for best pitcher on the team.

With Holliday falling to Brock last week, the 7-3A baseball all-district list has been released.
A lot of Bowie Jackrabbits were honored with the team finishing second in the district standings.
Among the superlatives, Edmond DeLeon was named co-pitcher of the year as the freshman proved to be the team’s best pitcher.
Bowie had five first team selections in district. Seniors Kynan DeMoss, Carson Sanders and Brody Armstrong were selected along with juniors Troy Kesey and Tucker Jones.
On the second team, Bowie had three players selected. Seniors Seth Hall and Connor Earp along with junior Cy Egenbacher were named to the list. An honorable mention selection was senior A.J. Whatley.

To see the team awards and more photos, pick up a copy of the weekend edition of the Bowie News.

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Jackrabbits earn bronze at state

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The Bowie boy’s golf team won the program’s first team medal at the state tournament as the Jackrabbits finished third overall after two days. (Courtesy photo)

The Bowie boy’s golf team made some school history on Monday and Tuesday as the Jackrabbits finished third at the 3A state golf tournament to bring home a bronze medal.
Bowie made up a nine shot lead the original third place team, Orangefield, had after the first day to overtake the Bobcats and earn the program’s first team medal at state.
The Jackrabbits were coming into the tournament with some hope they could compete amongst the top. The first time the program made it to state as a team two years ago, Bowie had a slim shot at trying to break into medal contention. A rain delay did not help things and the Jackrabbits finished in a respectable sixth place.
Two players from that team who were freshman, Cy Egenbacher and Andrew Sandhoff, were looking to do better two years later.
The weather was perfect on day one at the Jimmy Clay Golf Course. Coach Matthew Miller said the course was described as having nine holes with narrow fairways that heavily punished wayward tee shots and then nine holes with more open space where players could look to be more aggressive.
The first day it seemed like every team at the front of the leaderboard had about the best round of golf they had shot all season. Almost every team except the Jackrabbits.
Bowie was sitting in fifth place with a 325 score, which was good but not the best the team had shot all season. Egenbacher and Zac Harris shot the lowest score for the Jackrabbits as both shot 78. Sandhoff shot around what he usually has with an 82 and Hunter Lea was the fourth player who shot 87. The fifth golfer Rayder Mann was only one shot more than Lea with an 88, though his score did not count towards the team total on day one.
While first place Callisburg would go on to set 3A state records for lowest score and the first of two Brock teams was up by 14 shots in second place, third place Orangefield was up only nine shots after its best round by far and the team was frontloaded with a player who would go on to win the individual gold. If his teammates could faulter a bit on day two, the door would be open.
Bowie was not the only team in position to try and make a play for third place. Fourth place Gunter was only two shots ahead of the Jackrabbits and the teams were paired together for the second day. Maypearl and Diboll also were in the mix only one and two shots behind Bowie in sixth and seventh place.
Miller tried to ease his player’s mind heading into the second day, putting little pressure on them to try and keep them loose.
“We talked Monday night and the message was, you have no pressure,” Miller said. “You have 18 holes left for the year. Go out and have fun, enjoy yourself. Go post a number and see what can happen.”
Of all of the teams in the top six, three posted a better score on day two with Bowie improving the most. The weather was not quite as good with the temperature reaching the 90s and with a breeze affecting balls more than the windless day before had.
Still, four of the five players posted equal or better scores for Bowie the second day. Egenbacher shot a 78 again to lead the team with the lowest score. His two day total of 156 put him in a tie for ninth place individually.
Sandhoff made a two shot improvement as he shot 80 for a total of 162, which was the second lowest two day total for Bowie and put him in a tie for 24th.
Lea made the biggest jump, improving by eight strokes from day one as he shot a 79, the second lowest score of the day for Bowie. His two-day total was 166.
Mann also made a big jump, improving by seven strokes from day one as his 81 score was counted towards the second day total of 318, which was a seven stroke improvement from day one.
Harris did not quite have as good a day as day one. After tying for the team’s lowest score on day one, his 85 score did not count towards the team total though his 163 two-day total was the third lowest on the team.
After improving by seven shots, as important was that other team’s had worse days. Playing partners Gunter were nine shots worse, eventual champions Callisburg were 17 shots worse and most importantly Orangefield was 16 shots worse.
Bowie passed the Bobcats to finish in third place, its 643 two-day total five shots better, to earn the bronze medal.

To read the full story, pick up a copy of the weekend edition of the Bowie News.

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Lambert enters the hall of fame

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Bowie native Cody Lambert was inducted into the Bull Riding Hall of Fame. (Courtesy photo)

Cody Lambert, a pioneering figure in rodeo, was inducted into the Bull Riding Hall of Fame during the 9th annual induction ceremony and reunion on May 20 in the Fort Worth Stockyards.
The Bowie cowboy was part of the class that includes Cody Snyder, Dickey Cox, Kenny Wilcox, Rickey Lindsey, Rick Chatman, John Gloor, R.C. Bales, Bernis Johnson, Ronnie Bowman and bull O18 Cowtown.
The Bull Riding Hall of Fame is located at Cowtown Coliseum in Fort Worth. Its goal is to honor all of the bull riding champions, as well as preserve the history of bull riding, housing inductee exhibits, accomplishments, photos, videos and personal effects. It has four categories: Bull riders, bull fighters, bulls and legends.
Lambert makes his home outside of Bowie with his wife, Leanne. They met on the circuit as she was a barrel racer and they married in May 1982. They welcome son Riley four years later.
He grew up in the rodeo with two grandfathers who competed, so it was no surprise when he fell in love with the sport. His father was a successful racehorse jockey winning the first All American Futurity and he went on to be a top trainer.
Lambert began bronc riding at the high school level, before attending Sul Ross University where he won the Men’s All Around at the 1982 National Collegiate Rodeo Association Finals. In a March 2021 interview in the North Texas Farm and Ranch, he recalls when he went professional the only two events that made sense were saddle bronc riding and bull riding.
He qualified to compete in the National Finals Rodeo in saddle bronc riding in 1981, 1990 and 1991. in bull riding he would make an appearance in the finals in 1985, 1986, 1988, 1989 and 1991-1993. He also became a Texas Circuit Finals Champion twice in saddle bronc, twice in bulls and three years as All Around.
“Looking back on it, I don’t know that bull riding was my best event. I think I worked a lot harder at the bull riding It was a different kind of challenge, so I think I put more into it,” Lambert told NTFR.

To read the full story, pick up a copy of the mid-week edition of the Bowie News.

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