Corpus Christi Caller Times Caller.com - Missed signal turns into winning hit for Andrews

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Saturday, June 12, 1999

Missed signal turns into winning hit for Andrews
Second baseman Bueno ignores coaches' call for bunt, then smacks ball down left field line
By stu duncan
Caller-Times

AUSTIN - It took more than 20 years and 34 victories this season for Andrews High School baseball coach Joe Ray Halsey to finally get his wish.
   It arrived Friday.
   Halsey's Mustangs are indeed No. 1.
   It came both with and without the help of his second baseman.
   What would have transpired had Geraldo Bueno put down the sacrifice bunt as he was instructed to do in the eighth inning of Andrews' 4-3 Class 4A state championship victory against Calallen remains a mystery.
   One swing of Bueno's bat Friday, however, reminded baseball fans at Disch-Falk Field that sometimes the coach isn't always right.
   Halsey was still shaking his head after the game in relief and disbelief. Bueno's fake bunt attempt allowed the game-winning run to steal second and move into scoring position in the bottom of the eighth inning. Bueno followed with the game-winning hit down the left field line.
   "I told him to bunt (leadoff man Shaud Williams) over and he said he didn't know how," Halsey said. "I told him that you're going to bunt it anyway. We screwed around and did the fake bunt, steal. So we were going to bunt him to third. But (Bueno) said 'No I can hit this guy give me one chance.' Bam - there you go."
   "I told Shaud, 'Once you get on I'm driving you around no matter what,' " Bueno said. "He got on first (by a walk) and I missed a bunt but he stole second so I said to myself, 'I'm driving him in.' (Calallen relief pitcher Shane Menn) just gave me a hanging curveball and I just drove it in (to fair play)."
   It was Andrews' first time at the state tournament.
   One tournament, one state championship.
   It sounds so easy.
   No simple task
   Yet how the Mustangs pulled off back-to-back dramatic victories in consecutive days at the state tournament wasn't simple.
   First, the Mustangs nipped Brenham, 4-3 in the last half-inning of their state semifinal matchup on Thursday. Andrews left fielder Mike Hudgens did the honors with a game-winning, one-out bases loaded single.
   Friday, Andrews blew a 3-0 third-inning advantage to Calallen only to pull it out with Bueno's clutch hit in extra innings.
   And what an inaugural state tournament run it was for the 1999 Class 4A state champs.
   "It was the best feeling in the world," Bueno said. "I just hit my knees (halfway between first and second) and thanked the Lord above. It's awesome. Your heart just pumps when that game-winning run comes in."
   Almost as much as Halsey's heart raced when Bueno failed to put down the bunt in a game-breaking situation.

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