The Houston TASO (Texas Association of Sports Officials) had its Championship game Saturday morning at Houston’s Minute Maid Park featuring the baseball teams from Bellaire and Lamar. After starting with 64 varsity teams, these two were the best of the best. A seventh-inning push by the Lamar team was the difference as the Redskins beat the Cardinals 5-4.

 Bellaire got the ball rolling early in the first inning when Jeremy Schaffer earned an RBI afte reaching base on an error, which scored Chan Ross. Moments later, Brian Baumgarten reached on a fielder’s choice, and Chris Minifee scored.

In the bottom of the same inning, Lamar made some things happen, as Anthony Rendon reached on an error. Daniel Gonzales followed with a single, and Peter Goudeau blasted a two-RBI double, bringing home Gonzales and Rendon.

Other than Bellaire infielder Kyle Chaskin’s home run (400+ feet) in the top of the third inning, the game remained scoreless through four innings. But in the seventh, things got interesting.

The Cardinals scored another run when Ross scored off of a Kevin McKee RBI double. With a 4-2 advantage by Bellaire, it appeared the lead was safe.

In Lamar’s last at-bat, Struska and Bracht both singled. A wild pitch advanced both of them over a base. Rendon hit an RBI single that scored Struska and Dennison hit the game-winning RBI.

                     1  2  3  4  5  6  7    R    H  E  LO
Bellaire      2  0  1  0  0  0  1    4    5  2    6
Lamar        2  0  0  0  0  0  3    5    9  2    5

About the scholarship
“These games are good for everybody because we are all about promoting the kids,” Tournament chairman Andy Lundy said. “This game has grown over the last few years, and this year, we gave $40,000 dollars in scholarships to kids.”

TASO awards twenty (20) $2,000 scholarships to athletes who want to further their education. Lundy said the organization puts together a six-man umpire crew to look over the many applications received.

The criteria are: financial need, academics, and community service. The scholarship is primarily for those who are not already receiving an athletic scholarship.
 

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