HISTORY MADE: ROPES PUNCHES FIRST TICKET TO STATE TITLE GAME
- Steven Liles
- 6 minutes ago
- 3 min read
ABILENE — History has officially arrived in Ropes.
For the first time in program history, the Ropes Eagles are headed to the UIL State Baseball Championship after sweeping Collinsville in the Class 2A Division II State Semifinals at ACU's Crutcher Scott Field.
The accomplishment is even more remarkable considering it comes during Coach Nathan Flores' first season at the helm.
Now, after a 32-win season and a playoff run filled with clutch moments, the Eagles are one win away from bringing home a state championship.
Game 1 belonged to the Eagles from the start.
Ropes struck first in the opening inning when Collinsville right fielder Brandon Cantu misplayed a Rylan Keith line drive and Keith turned on the jets to get to 3rd on the play. 2 pitches later Maddux Sierra attacked the right fielder again and as Cantu misplayed the ball Sierra raced around to 3rd. The Eagles would strand him there but not before they had taken control of Game 1. The Eagles added two more runs in the second as Cason Kucel delivered an RBI single before Ryland Keith added a sacrifice fly to stretch the lead.
On the bump, Elijah Flores continued his postseason excellence.
The senior scattered just two hits over 5 2/3 innings while allowing two runs, only one earned. When Collinsville threatened late, Cutter Stumbo took over and shut the door, tossing 1 1/3 scoreless innings to secure the 4-2 victory.
Keith drove in two runs while Brayden Hogg collected a pair of hits as Ropes grabbed a 1-0 series lead.
But Game 2 would prove to be the defining moment of the series.
The Eagles came out swinging as Maddux Sierra launched an inside-the-park home run in the top of the first inning to give Ropes an early 2-0 lead.
Then everything nearly unraveled.
Three infield errors helped Collinsville answer immediately, and suddenly the Pirates had the bases loaded with no outs while holding a 3-2 lead.
It could have been the inning that changed the series.
Instead, Kade Franklin made sure it wasn't.
Franklin recorded a huge strikeout before charging a suicide squeeze and making an incredible barehanded play at home plate to cut down the runner. He finished the escape with another strikeout, limiting the damage and keeping Ropes within striking distance.
That sequence proved to be one of the biggest moments of the entire series.
The game remained 3-2 until the fifth inning when Collinsville made a strategic decision that quickly backfired.
With two outs, the Pirates intentionally walked Sierra to load the bases and bring Franklin to the plate.
Franklin responded exactly the way championship players do.
The senior lined a two-run single to right field to give the Eagles a 4-3 lead, flipping the game and shifting momentum permanently back to the Ropes dugout.
From there, Stumbo was dominant.
The reliever tossed four scoreless innings while striking out four and allowing just one hit to preserve the lead and complete the sweep.
Collinsville made it interesting in the bottom of the 7th as Spivey worked a walk and Patterson wore the very next pitch to put runners on 1st and 2nd with no outs. Stumbo locked though and got Hicks to pop up to shallow centerfield and struck out Worthington. With 2 outs Cantu came to the plate and hit a grounder over to Franklin at 3rd base who fired it across the diamond.
When the final out settled into a glove, the celebration was on.
Players sprinted onto the field while coaches embraced near the dugout. All the Eagles hard work and dedication and an entire community's dream had become reality.
The Ropes Eagles are headed to Round Rock.
And for the first time ever, they'll play for a state championship.
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