Cinco Ranch has a confidence no matter the situation they are in.

The Cougars have found ways to win no matter their circumstances this season. Whether it’s with pitching, defense, small ball or offensive prowess.

It’s made them a tough team to beat and it’s shown throughout the season, as the Cougars have garnered a  26-4 record while going 13-2 in District 19-6A pay to lead the way in Katy ISD. That confidence and firepower was on full display Tuesday, as the Cougars beat Seven Lakes 11-7 despite not having their best game and stayed atop the district standings along with Tompkins.

“The biggest thing for us is there’s always someone who can step up,” said senior outfielder Charlie Atkinson. “If someone isn’t having their best day, we know that someone else will pick that up and come through. That’s why we’re such a good team, there’s always the next guy and we have a ton of them.”

Seven Lakes struck first in the game when Taylor Tiedt drove in a run on a bunt single in the second inning, but Cinco Ranch’s bats weren’t going to be silenced or long. The Cougars came alive in the bottom of the third and after two runners reached, Gavin Rutherford hit a three-run home run to give the Cougars the lead, and after another runner reached, Atkinson came to the plate and hit a two-run bomb as the Cougars went up 5-1.

Things stayed that way until the fifth inning. When Seven lakes answered back. The Spartans got a run across on a wild pitch before Paden Reynolds drove in a run on a single. Miguel Acosta brought in two more runs with a single and an error allowed yet another run to come across before Ty Berra capped off the inning with a single, driving in another to make it 7-5 Spartans.

“It was probably the sloppiest game we played defensively all year, but it wasn’t a bad defensive game,” said Cinco Ranch head coach Brett Wallace. “Seven Lakes did a great job with small ball tonight and they made hits, but our guys stepped up when they needed to and made sure we came away with the win.”

Cinco tied the game in the bottom of the fifth, as Logan Sosolik drove in a run on a single and Ranier Castillo tied it when he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. The Cougars couldn’t get anything more across in the fifth, but they loaded the bases up again in the sixth and Atkinson made Seven Lakes pay by hitting a grand slam, putting he Cougars up by four as they would hold it the rest of the way.

Logan Sosolik earned the win for Cinco Ranch after coming on in relief. He pitched 2.2 innings of scoreless ball, allowing two hits and striking out one.

“We just have guys that will find a way to win and you have to find a way to win in every aspect of the game,” Atkinson said. “We were able to do that tonight with our relief pitching and offensively, but we also have to be able to move runners over and play small ball as well. That’s just how we continue to win is by doing it in different ways.”

The Cougars close out district play on Friday and can clinch at least a share of the District 19-6A crown with a win over Seven Lakes. It would be the first district championship for Cinco Ranch since 2006.

“It’s huge for us,” Atkinson said. “Everyone knows what a district championship would mean for us and that’s been our goal. But the most important thing for us is to just win the game that’s in front of us every day and go 1-0 every time we go out there. We just have to do that same thing on Friday.”