He’s safe! Pinch running, Port Aransas High School Marlins player Christian Johnson slides, safe, into third base during a game against Fayetteville. The game was part of a tournament held in Fayetteville March 15-17. STAFF PHOTO BY KAREN COLLINS The Marlins took second place in a baseball tourney held Thursday, March 15-Saturday, March 17, in Fayetteville, taking their first three games but getting squeezed out, 1-2, by the host Fayetteville Lions in the championship game.

Alex Groseclose, Jake Roberts and Tyler Pate were named to the All-Tournament team.

Port Aransas scampered to a 10-0 win over Louise under the UIL’s 10-run rule on Thursday behind Roberts on the mound. He fanned six batters in five innings, allowing one hit and walking one.

Roberts also kicked in to the offense, going two for three and scoring three runs and batting in two.

Pate also was two for three, as were Nick Maxham and Connor Collins. Pate batted in one run while Maxham scored twice and batted in four and Collins knocked two runs in. Andrew Groseclose was two for four with one RBI, Alex Groseclose was one for two with a base on balls and two runs.

Blue Shodrock was two for two with two doubles and two RBIs and Andrew Follett was one for three with an RBI.

The Marlins went error-free in the win.

The Marlins played their second game on Friday, facing Fayetteville for the first time and beating the hosts 1-0.

Pate led off on the mound for Port Aransas, going five innings and allowing no runs and one hit. He struck out seven and walked two.

Caleb Rogers took over in the sixth and picked up the win, allowing one run with two hits and no walks and striking out two.

Pate was two for three; Alex Groseclose was one for three, but his one hit was the gamewinning home run in the sixth inning.

Port Aransas went up against a familiar rival, Ben Bolt, in the semi-final game on Saturday, prevailing 6-3 over the Badgers.

Blue Shodrock started and picked up the win for the Marlins, allowing two runs and seven hits with five strikeouts and two walks. He hit one batter with a pitch.

John Amundsen collected the save in the final two innings, allowing no runs with one hit. Amundsen struck out two and walked one.

Pate knocked in one run among his two hits in three trips to the plate; Roberts brought in two RBIs with one hit in three at-bats. Alex and Andrew Groseclose each got one hit in three trips, with Alex Groseclose being hit by a pitch. Shodrock also was one for three at the plate.

In the championship round, facing Fayetteville for the second time in the tournament, the Marlins took an early lead but couldn’t maintain it as the Lions collected two runs in the fifth inning.

“We played really good defense, and our pitching was excellent,” coach Brian Flack summed up the tournament. “Our timing at the plate is struggling at times, but that will fix itself. It’s better to be struggling at the plate now than later.”

Amundsen took the first four innings on the mound for the Marlins, allowing three hits and no runs and walking one. Andrew Groseclose took over in the sixth and picked up the loss, walking two and striking out four but allowing two runs.

Alex Groseclose batted in the lone Port Aransas run in the first inning, going two for four trips to the plate. Andrew Groseclose and Pate were both one for three, Roberts was one for two and Rogers got one hit in four trips.

The tournament brings the Marlins’ overall record to 10- 2.