For the first time in his three seasons to start for the Boyd-Buchanan baseball team, Cade Evans saw the Buccaneers fall short of the District 5-A regular-season championship.
It irritated, but the postseason offers a refreshing chance at redemption and retribution.
Arts & Sciences, one of three 5-A teams to beat Boyd-Buchanan during the regular season, was the first postseason target. The Bucs pulled out a gigantic whipping stick in the district tournament opener for both teams. It took them just four at-bats to dispatch the Patriots 19-0.
The Bucs played errorless defense, pitcher Casey Pate gave up just two hits and the offense combined 11 hits with an abundance of Patriots errors, hit batsmen and free passes for the team's largest victory margin of the season.
"This was a big statement for us," rookie coach Taylor Gilley said. "They were one of our district losses, and it was good for us to come out and play good baseball - good approach at the plate, good defense and pitched well. It sends a statement that this is a new season."
Pate (7-1) faced just two batters over the five-inning minimum while striking out four and walking one.
"He was throwing strikes and hitting his spots, and his curveball was working today," said Bucs catcher Cooper Hodge, who batted in two runs with a pair of doubles and scored three runs. "Our defense played really well behind him."
Though he was the only Boyd-Buchanan starter without a hit, junior shortstop and leadoff man Evans was a catalyst.
"He set the tempo in the first inning," CSAS coach Rik Herrmann said.
Evans walked, avoided a pickoff attempt and stole second and third, and then he scored when a throw to third bounded into left field. It all happened before No. 2 hitter Hodge had seen a second pitch. Evans wound up scoring three runs and stealing three bases.
"He's so productive. He's a weapon. There were no hits today but he was on base four times. He set the tone today," Gilley said.
Evans walked twice and twice was hit by pitches. In his only official at-bat with the game well in hand, he grounded out to second.
"Last time we played them they beat us 6-3. This was a big game for us, and we were motivated from the start," he said.
Eight of the nine Bucs batters had at least one hit. Hodge and E.J. Matthews led the way with Matthews getting three RBIs on a double and a single. Colby Morgan also had three RBIs, including a two-run homer, and Bray Wilson was 2-for-2 with two RBIs.
Alex Payne got both CSAS hits.
Boyd-Buchanan will play the winner of this afternoon's game between Copper Basin and Silverdale Baptist Academy. The Bucs would host Copper Basin but visit the Seahawks.
Contact Ward Gossett at wgossett@timesfreepress.com or 423-886-4765. Follow him on Twitter @wardgossett.