You take on Bandera these days and your goal is to score a run--you’d have a better chance of WINNING at the Boston Garden. These guys, on April 11, not only sported a 19-4 overall record, but they were 5-0 in district play, and “0” is a well-known number on campus: the Bulldogs had thrown five shutouts!

Llano comes to town in a real good mood--it had wasted a nine-run lead at mediocre Ingram, April 8, and lost, 17-14. (See related story after you’ve taken your pain killers.) So, you’d expect a rout on this pleasant Friday night, and you’d get one--9-2--BUT it was the Jackets over Big Bad Bandera.

“I just knew we’d play well,” head coach Chad Krempin said after the huge triumph. “Bad things happened at Ingram, but we’re a good ball club, and when we got off the bus here, I told the guys, ‘this would be a Yellow Jacket night.’”

Junior Ty Compton was a major reason why Krempin’s forecast was on the money. He fired a superb six-hitter, striking out six and walking just three. “I was ready to come here and beat them, because we can beat anyone in the district,” Compton declared. “I felt like I was off some in the beginning, but I got better and did okay.”

Okay, indeed, according to assistant coach Craig Bauman. “That’s the best I’ve seen him pitch; he was hitting his spots, had more pop on his fast ball and more break on his curve. We expect him to be a leader on the mound, and he knows that.”

That five-game shutout streak by Bandera ended quickly as Llano scored twice in the first inning. A Kyle Leyendecker single and an error on the play brought in Trey Brooks and a wild pitch produced the second run.

Travis Ramos and Ty Thurman singled in the second frame, and Dean Redden’s ground-rule double, which bounced over the centerfield fence, chased in the base runners. Redden, the freshman catcher, had three hits on the night. The Jackets were up, 4-1, after two innings and 4-2 following the third.

“We really wanted to stay in contention for the 25-3A title,” Krempin stated. This would have brought a John McEnroe type response during infield practice: “You can’t be serious!” But, what do you know? With the victory, the Orange and Black is 4-2 in district while Bandera is 5-1 with three games to play, one more against each other.

Nathan Dudley was hit by a pitch in the fourth inning and Cody Fietz had a single; a wild pitch and ground out would create two more runs and a healthy, 6-2, advantage.

“The loss at Ingram definitely got us pumped up,” Compton pointed out. “It motivated us to play better.” Krempin added: “When we get solid pitching we’ll do well because we’re going to score runs.”

Three more came in the seventh as Leyendecker singled in courtesy-runner, and speedster, Wes Regmund. Lefty Dustin Jordan, the tough-looking first baseman, who has gone from 265 pounds to 215 in a year, provided the signature moment of the visit with a skyscraping blast to the clouds down the rightfield line. American Airlines wishes its planes could stay in the air that high for that length of time. It was a magnificent flight that escaped the ball park, and two men (on land) came home.

“Dustin can unload,” Krempin offered, “and that won’t be the last home run we’ll see him hit.”

With a pair of routs over proud Wimberley, and now this near shocker, it has become a pretty fair district campaign for the Jackets, an authentic mix of seniors and youngsters.