Tejay Antone, 11, pitched six innings and 11 strikes. Ryan Dean, 11, closed their first district game with a win at 5-2. The game ended in victory and began with L.U.C.K. Week beneficiary, Ethan Hallmark throwing the first pitch.

Hallmark’s night began with him putting on his custom-made Legacy jersey and meeting the starting pitcher Antone and catcher senior Andy Jacobi. He then high-fived every player as they entered the dugout after warming up. Hallmark’s doctors said it was safe for him to attended the game, but his mom asked the trainers to sanitize his hands after he touched anyone else.

“These are your temporary mothers; they will be as crazy as I am,” Hallmark’s mom said as Tori Taylor squirted hand sanitizer into his hands.

“I knew it was from you,” Ethan said.

Hallmark was in the middle of an interview with LBTV when he was called to throw the first pitch.
Coach Walden yelled, “Scoot up Andy,” but Ethan threw it high, almost over Jacobi’s head.

Hallmark sat in the dugout to watch the first two and a half innings. Cedar Hill hit a solo home run in the top of the first inning, but that was only one of two hits allowed by Antone for six innings. In the second inning Tanner Houston, 12, hit a double and ran in on Rudy Garza’s single scoring Legacy’s first run. Antone continued to pitch in the third inning and impressed both coaches.

“That’s a good pitch,” Coach Brian Tickel yelled from the dugout, “Unbelievable.”
Coach David Walden replied, “Another one of those pitches, and he’s got them out.”

Even with Antone’s back-to-back scoreless innings the Broncos were still tied before the bottom of the third, but Antone beat the third inning curse.

“It is the pitching curse. All the games we have lost, we lost in the third inning because all the runs are scored in the third inning. It felt good to start the season off by beating the curse,” Antone said.

Tejay’s luck had changed and so did the team’s. Hallmark left the dugout to announce the batters over the loud speakers. First he announced Ryan Dean, 11. Broncos scored two runs in the third and did the same in the fourth increasing their lead 5-1, and kept it that way untill the seventh inning.

Hallmark returned to the dugout and asked, “Is Tejay still pitching?”

“No. He pitched like 100 pitches so now he’s at first,” a player answered.

Ryan Dean pitched the last inning.

“I know what the last pitcher is called: the reliever,” Hallmark said.

“He is also called the closer,” Coach Smith replied.

By the seventh inning Hallmark’s mom left with the hand sanitizer. The trainers decided to use some Bath and Body Works sanitizer on him.

When asked if he wanted some more Hallmark responded, “That one is too strong. You just did it two seconds ago and my mother left.”

The trainers responded, “But your mom put us in charge,”

Longhorns scored one more run but the Broncos clinched the victory at 5-2. At the beginning of the game Hallmark had predicted they would win.

“They are going to kick some butt,” Hallmark said. “Go Broncos.”

Hallmark’s favorite moment was the same as Coach Walden’s.

“[My favorite part of the game was] the last play of the game when he struck the guy out,” Hallmark said.