Grapevine baseball tallies consecutive walk-off wins, claims Class 5A State Championship

In high pressure situations, Grapevine baseball tends to rise to the occasion.

The Mustangs (40-5) secured their second consecutive walk-off victory to win the Class 5A State Championship at the UIL high school baseball state tournament. Grapevine first baseman Jarett Boswell, facing two outs, hit a deep line drive that fell in center field to defeat Lucas Lovejoy 6-5 on Saturday.

“It felt great,” Boswell said. “I hit it and I knew it had a chance off the bat. And I was just praying he didn’t get to it. And he didn’t. This means a lot. We’ve been grinding all season. Early mornings. Late practices. And this is what we’ve been working towards. We said it from the beginning, this is our goal.”

Grapevine head coach Jimmy Webster said both state tournament games involved high quality Class 5A high school baseball, and the Mustangs came out on top.

“I’m so proud of our kids, our school and our administration,” Webster said. “Everybody is supportive. And we’re happy we can bring this back. Our fans were fantastic. We’re so happy that we were able to do this for everybody, including ourselves and our seniors.”

In the 2022 season, the current Grapevine senior class won just 10 games as sophomores. Two years later, the group helped quadruple the Mustangs’ total wins en route to the state title.

Grapevine baseball starts, finishes strong

Grapevine’s offense set the tone early with a four run first inning. Center fielder Sammy Kelley and first baseman Jarett Boswell tallied singles and third baseman Ryan Williams walked.

Second baseman Peyton Tatum, designated hitter Lale Esquivel and catcher Gianni Corral advanced runners with sacrifices; Tatum reached safely due to a Lovejoy throwing error.

“That started the tempo,” Webster said of the first inning. “But then in the mid innings, we lost a little bit of momentum. And baseball is one of those games where momentum is real.”

Lovejoy, in the third inning, responded with a flurry of runs against Grapevine starter JoJo Kubo. Base hits from shortstop Kyle Branch, catcher Reese Ogden, designated hitter Asher Lacy and second baseman Aarren Marshall cut the Grapevine lead to 4-3.

Lovejoy was in position to add more with the bases loaded and one out. A line drive was sent to center field and Kelley made a catch on the run. Lacy tried to tag from third and Kelley unloaded a high-speed, pinpoint throw that reached home plate just in time to secure a double play.

“Sammy (Kelley) is an athlete first and foremost,” Webster said. “And big moments don’t scare Sammy (Kelley). There is a saying that we have -- we want to run to the competition. We want to run to the fight.”

The Mustangs added an insurance run in the fourth following a lead off triple from Esquivel. Right fielder Zackary Goldstein completed the assigned task, sending a deep sacrifice fly to right field.

“I thought (Esquivel’s) triple to start off that inning was big for us,” Webster said. “To answer back with a run -- that really changed the complexion of not only the game, but the momentum part of the game.”

Grapevine relief pitcher Luke Schreyer went into the seventh inning with three scoreless innings under his belt. Lovejoy rallied under pressure. First baseman Garrett Hutchins and Ogden hit RBI doubles to tie the game.

“People in the dugout were saying three outs,” Webster said. “Just get one out. (Lovejoy) can play. After the way the inning started, I felt happy to be tied to give us a chance. They just demolished a couple of balls. So, I tip my hat to them.”

Throughout the 2024 season, Grapevine has responded through adversity. The Mustangs defeated district rival Argyle after a game one loss in the regional final and had the walk-off win in the state semifinal.

Grapevine used the experience to thrive under pressure, and it powered the Mustangs to a program defining title win. Boswell’s two hits and two RBIs earned him the Class 5A State Championship Most Valuable Player award.

Grapevine made its third state tournament appearance and won its second state championship. The Mustangs’ first title came in the 2016 season. Lucas Lovejoy made its first UIL state tournament appearance following District 13-5A regular season championship.