Marcus S. Marion | mmarion@waxahachietx.com

MAYPEARL Not including edging Grandview by one run, Maypearl has outscored its opponents 66-9 in six seemingly scientific district victories.

Sixteen of those runs came during Friday night's 16-0 shutout of Keene High School at Panther Field and helped Maypearl High School remain the undefeated No. 1 seed of District 17-3A.

It was also the (10-6, 7-0) Panthers' seventh consecutive victory and the third team held scoreless during that stretch.

"The pitching has been a focal point this season and helped us get to where we are right now," Panther Head Coach Brian Bilbrey said. "Dakota (Davis) was great and has been all year long on the mound as has Lonnie (Brooks) and anyone else who has taken on that responsibility."

Despite the juggernaut success of the regular season, Bilbrey said he's reserving judgment on where this year's team stands with others he's coached.

"Each year each team has its own personality," he continued. "This year's team has done a really good job of putting in the work. They are always doing extra work on their own and its paid off with their play. We just keep working the way we have been working and try to build off what we've been able to accomplish. If we practice the right way with lots of energy and emphasize the details we feel good things will happen."

There was more than a possibility the Panthers felt on the proverbial "right track" after Davis tossed a two-hit, seven-strikeout and 60-pitch five-inning gem against the visiting Bulldogs. Only Payton Denning and DeMarcos Peireira were able to reel hits off Maypearl's right-handed ace during 14 total at-bats.

While the Keene struggled to earn bases, Maypearl stockpiled hits. It used 16 to score 16 runs and run-rule their district opponents two innings shy of a complete game. Six of those earned bases came from the bats of Brooks (3-for-4, 3 RBIs), Davis (2-for-3, 1 RBI), Luis Dermas (3-for-3, 5 RBIs) and Tanir Horton (3-for-4, 3 RBIs).

Every player on the Maypearl roster, save two players, got at least one hit. Every player, though, contributed, regardless of if it was a hit, run scored or a lead-extending sacrifice.

There were stolen bases in the first, third and fourth innings that helped buoy the Panther lead and basereunning that turned a seven-inning high school baseball district matchup into a blowout.

In addition to logging multi-hit and multi-steal performances on their season resumes, Brooks, Davis, Dermas and Horton accounted for 12 runs batted in.

Cole Maxwell, Chase Reeher and Sam Taylor helped round out the RBI total at 15. For Horton and the Panthers, though, there is one word that defines his current team versus ones in the past.

Chemistry.

"Our chemistry is stronger now than ever," he said. "We've had awesome chemistry in the past but this team seems locked in every at-bat, inning, game and stretch. Even when we stumble there's always someone to play savior whether its Luis, Robert (Pinter), Sam, Cole, Ken (McGinn) or Cory (Nix). We all have the same goal in mind and are unified by our desire to reach it. That's getting to the state championship one step at a time and winning the whole thing. You can't win a title in a team sport like baseball without chemistry."

That chemistry exists despite a possible txhightschoolbaseball.com snub that left Maypearl unranked a week after knocking off Grandview's Zebra, the No. 4 3A team in its state poll.

"Rankings don't mean anything to us because, at the end of the day, every team has to compete," he continued. "We play our best nine against another team's best nine and we go and compete. We play with a chip on our shoulders every game because we feel like we have something to prove to everyone every game we step inside the diamond. We love being the underdogs because it gives us a little extra motivation. It makes us who we are, chemistry included. Everybody from your starting pitcher to your bullpen pitchers and your leadoff batter to your pinch hitter or reserve players has to be on the same page. Baseball is like music. We're the instruments and Coach Bilbrey is the virtuoso. All we have to do is play."

The Panthers are seemingly stockpiling good vibes. They sit in first place and are in the driver's seat to the district championship with four games left on the regular-season schedule including a finale rematch with Grandview High School.

Counting Rice High School, Maypearl's 7 p.m. Tuesday opponent at RHS Bulldog Field, three of the Panthers' next four opponents have won less than five games. The (4-11, 3-4) Bulldogs lost their Friday night matchup to Scurry-Rosser High School 1-0. It was Rice's third consecutive loss.

"Rice is a good team that's well-coached," Bilbrey said about keeping the momentum this late in the season. "We'll have our hands full. It starts with our pitching. If we pitch well, play good defense, and get a couple of timely hits we'll give ourselves a chance."

Marcus S. Marion can be reached for story idea submissions or concerns at (469) 517-1456. Follow him on Twitter at @MarcusMarionWNI.

Read more from the original source:
Chemistry set: Maypearl's wild science has the Panthers on the top of 17-3A class after Friday district rout - Waxahachie Daily Light