Strykers complete road swing

The Woodlands Strykers, a Texas Collegiate League baseball team, return home on Tuesday for a quick two-game homestand with the league-leading Brazos Valley Bombers. Both games begin at 7:05 p.m. at Strykers Stadium on the campus of The Woodlands Christian Academy.

The Strykers will honor The Woodlands High School baseball team prior to the Tuesday game. The Highlanders recently won the UIL Class 5A State Baseball Championships.

For more information, visit www.woodlandsstrykers.com or call 832-818-7331 or 979-824-5655 to order tickets, or ways the team can help advertise your business.

The Strykers completed a four-game road trip with two games over the weekend at Riverside Stadium in Victoria against the Generals. The Strykers took one of four road contests, winning 9-4 over the Generals on Saturday.

Spring native Nolan Holland, a Klein Oak graduate, started on the mound for the Strykers before leaving the game with an undisclosed injury. Nolan Riggs, also a Spring native and Klein Collins grad, then came in and pitched five scoreless innings, giving up four hits and two walks while striking out five.

Chris Thompson, another Klein Oak grad, came in and struck out two in his one inning of work. Gandy Stubblefield came in for the final 2.1 innings and struck out four batters for the save.

The offense got their first run in the fourth inning. Second baseman Kevin Santana hit a single, and was brought home on a single by first baseman Taylor Taska.

Strykers right fielder Robert Heep drew a fifth-inning walk and came home on a single by Ricky Sanchez. Santana scored on an error before Taska opened the sixth inning with a walk and scored on a pair of Victoria errors. Dalton Perry crossed the plate on a RBI single from Heep.

The Strykers got one run in the eighth when The Woodlands Christian Academy grad Travis Winnon opened with a single and scored on a single by Landon Merka.

They added three more in the eighth on two more Generals’ errors. Dirk Masters singled and pinch-runner Zach Davis crossed the plate before Taska and Brian Smith followed.

This followed a wild 12-11, 11-inning loss on Friday at the Brazos Valley Bombers. Masters and Conner Fikes had two RBIs apiece. Heep, Sanchez, Taska and Daniel Homann each had one RBI.

Matt Danton started on the mound for the Strykers. He pitched 7 2/3 innings striking out two batters. Trever Storie, seeing his first action, pitched a total of one inning. Thompson came in and recorded the final out in the eighth inning. The Woodlands native Austen Gunnels pitched the 11th inning.

The Strykers were blanked by the Generals, 8-0, on Sunday to close the road trip.

Conroe native, Zach Heard, a graduate of The Woodlands Christian Academy, went six inning giving up four hits and two runs while striking out six batters. Greg Jakusik, Caulin Cragle and Kevin Roy finished out the game.

It was hard going offensively as the team managed six hits, two from Heep.