Texas high school baseball playoffs are underway, and the opening weekend of the postseason saw some very good results for the 22-6A Humble ISD schools, as three different local schools all advanced to the area round.
Without a doubt, the team that faced the toughest test in advancing were the Atascocita Eagles, who have been playing red-hot baseball since mid-March. In the bi-district round, Deer Park pushed them to the limit.
The series started out like it might not be that way, though. In Game One on Thursday night, the Eagles used a complete game from Clay Bradford and a late offensive outburst where they scored six runs in the fifth and seven in the seventh inning to win 16-0.
The Deer, however, would not go quietly. In Game Two on Friday, the Deer scored seven runs in the second and held off a late Atascocita rally for a 10-8 win, setting the stage for Game Three.
The decisive game started out just like the previous game, with Deer Park using an explosive second inning to take a 4-1 lead.
However, the Eagles fought back with three runs in the top of the third to tie the game. They then took the lead in the fourth, as it turned out for good, on an RBI ground-out by Bradford which scored Townes Cox.
Meanwhile, Eagles starter Hudson Luce settled down after his rough second inning, as he didn’t allow anything from Deer Park the rest of the game and set down the side in order in the last inning as well to seal the 5-4 victory.
The Eagles, with the win, join Kingwood and Summer Creek in the area rounds; Kingwood beat Baytown Sterling and Summer Creek defeated West Brook to advance.
The Eagles next face the top seed from District 23-5A, the Pearland Oilers. Kingwood will square off against Clear Falls, while Summer Creek faces Clear Springs.
