Lynchburg-Clay Mustangs earn back-to-back perfect SHAC seasons; collect 30th conference championship

FAYETTEVILLE — The Lynchburg-Clay Mustangs are perfect for the second consecutive season in Southern Hills Athletic Conference play, capping off a perfect 13-0 Division I season in conference play Monday evening by defeating the host Fayetteville Rockets, 7-5.

The win by the Division V No. 4 state-ranked Mustangs (17-3 overall) gives them 32 consecutive SHAC wins, and on Monday at Fayetteville High School, Lynchburg-Clay trailed early by a 1-0 score after the first inning, but came alive in the top of the second with three runs, followed by a run in the third, fifth, sixth and seventh innings.

“This group set a goal, and to go get that goal was very important to them, and to me, so I’m very appreciative that we were able to go get it tonight. It was a little closer than what I would have liked it to have been, but two gold balls in a row is special, and that would be our 30th SHAC title in baseball,” LCHS head coach and SHAC Coach of the Year James Flowers said.

Fayetteville (5-8, 5-14) made the score closer in the bottom of the seventh with four runs crossing the plate, but LCHS ended the game with a relay throw off a double hit by Fayetteville’s Blake Rugenstein to right field. The ball was picked up and thrown by Alex Van Fleet to Quin Wells at second base, who tossed the ball to Kristian Beachy at third base, and he tagged out Rugenstein as he was attempting to advance to third base for the final out of the game. 

“You practice these things all year, and sometimes you get an opportunity to execute these things and sometimes you don’t. We had a ball hit to the right field line, down to the wall and we executed a perfect relay to cut the runner down at third to end the game, and I can’t ask for much more,” Flowers said. 

The relay play by LCHS put them at a perfect 13-0 in SHAC action this season, as they’ve outscored their conference foes, 159-14 this season. In their two consecutive SHAC perfect seasons, the Mustangs — who outscored opponents 118-1 in ’25 — have outscored conference teams 277-15 the past two seasons, resulting in 26 wins in that span. 

Going back to the ’24 season where they won their final six SHAC games (as that’s a part of their 32 consecutive SHAC wins), the Mustangs have outscored their conference opponents 337-30.

As for Monday’s game, after the Rockets scored the first run of the game as Kaden Vilvens scored Carter Gallinger, the Mustangs came back with a fury by scoring three runs for the two-run lead. 

Harley Lewis (two runs, one RBI, two walks, HBP, two steals) led off the top of the second with a four-pitch walk, and then came a single to left field hit by Max Baker (1-for-3, one walk), moving Lewis to third base. Next came an RBI single by Trevor Niehaus (1-for-3, one run, two RBI, two steals, one walk) — on a 1-1 count — who smashed the baseball to centerfield, plating Lewis and Baker.

Next were two runs scored with one out, as Niehaus crossed home plate following a dropped third strike and throw to first base, which saw Aric Slack (one RBI, one walk) reach the base safely. 

In the top of the third, with two outs, Tanner Roberts (two runs, two walks) scored on a dropped third strike, as he initially took to the bases with a walk and later went to third base on an error. 

The Mustangs gained a four-run lead at 5-1 in the top of the fifth when Roberts scored on an infield error at second base as Roberts reached the bases with a full-count walk. 

LCHS added a run in the top of the sixth with Elam Faust (1-for-3, one run, one walk) leading off with a walk and taking third base on a passed ball. Faust scored the run when Quin Wells (1-for-2, one RBI, a double, one walk) hit a sacrifice fly to left field, allowing Faust to tag up at third base and race home for the 6-1 lead. 

Lynchburg-Clay scored their final run of the game when Lewis led off by being hit by a pitch. Next, Lewis advanced to second on a balk, then he stole third base. Lewis scored LC’s seventh run on an error by the catcher for the 7-1 score.

Fayetteville scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh, making the ending of the game interesting with Austin Mintz, Gallinger, Parker Pfankuch and Ryder Luncan all scoring runs before the aforementioned relay play that ended the game. 

Also for LCHS, Caden Boone was hit by a pitch. 

“We didn’t hit real well tonight (LCHS totaled four hits), but that is the game of baseball and that’s what I love about it,” Flowers said. “I told some others, this isn’t basketball, I can’t pass the ball around at the top of the key for two minutes and decide I’m not going to shoot it and wait for them to foul me. I have to throw the ball across the plate and pray they don’t hit it. That’s what I love about this game. 

“Hats off to Fayetteville. Tyler Short pitched a phenomenal game for them tonight. He had good command on everything, and I wish the Rockets the best as they head into tournament play.”

Three LCHS pitchers took the mound, with Wells starting and pitching 1.1 innings where he allowed one earned run and had one strikeout. Kristian Beachy was the winning pitcher, tossing 5.0 innings in relief where he allowed four earned runs on two hits with six strikeouts. Roberts pitched 0.2 innings, allowing no earned runs on one hit with one strikeout. 

“Quin wasn’t feeling quite right, and we decided to play it safe being the end of the year and heading into the tournament to get him off the mound, and Kristian came in and I wouldn’t say it was quite cold turkey, but he was able to get loose and get some reps. He came in, and that was his first relief appearance of the year and he did a great job,” Flowers said.

Fayetteville’s Tyler Short had the tough-luck loss where in 4.2 innings he struck out nine batters and allowed four earned runs in his strong effort on the mound, throwing 122 pitches.  

Flowers ended by speaking about his coaching staff, consisting of Aric Fiscus and Shane Wells. 

“We won a gold ball and we get a lot of recognition, but Shane Wells and Aric Fiscus as assistant coaches, those two do a phenomenal job preparing these kids every night. They put in just as much effort as everyone else and never get the recognition, I want to thank them for being a part of my coaching staff and helping me develop these kids.” 

BOX SCORE
LCHS    031 011 1 — 7 4 0 
FHS    100 000 4 — 5 7 5