GEORGETOWN — Rouse’s playoff run rolls on.
The Raiders completed a sweep of District 25-5A rival Cedar Park on Friday in a regional quarterfinal series with a 2-1 win in Game 2 at Georgetown High School.
In the process, they exacted some revenge for the regular season, when the Timberwolves swept them, and now they will move on to the fourth round of the playoffs for the third time in four years.
“I’m just really proud of our kids,” said Rouse coach Chad Krempin, who recorded his 500th career win earlier this spring. “They were disappointed in district the way we played against these guys and Liberty Hill. I think that put a chip on our shoulder (coming into the playoffs). Our guys have kept working and kept believing in each other. They’ve continued to get better, and we’re a better team than a month ago. And that’s the most important part.”
After a 3-0 win Thursday in Game 1 , the Raiders again used the tried-and-true method of pitching and defense Friday.
Catcher Xander Forsell threw out a runner attempting to steal second base, and right fielder Tyler Espinosa made a diving catch, but it was the pitching of Oscar Salazar that truly impressed.
The senior right-hander struck out eight in six innings and always seemed to have his best stuff when needed as he stranded seven runners.
“Over time, being able to pitch at the varsity level for so long, you kind of have to trust yourself in everything you do,” Salazar said. “You put in the hours; you put in the work. So being able to go up there and have that mental talk to yourself, and being able to know that they have runners on and I can still get out of this really helps me come to grips with the game.”
Cedar Park took a brief 1-0 lead on Christian Gamez’s RBI single in the second, but Rayner Heinrich’s run-scoring double the next inning tied the game for the Raiders.
Forsell produced the winning run in the fourth when he roped a double down the left field line to bring home courtesy runner Dawson Snow.
“I picked up on the backspin a littler early, noticed it wasn’t an off-speed (pitch) and turned and burned,” said Forsell, who is hitting over .500 in the playoffs. “It was up in on the hands, and I didn’t get as much of it as I wanted to, but thankfully our guys before put me in a good position to get some RBIs.”
That turned out to be plenty of offense.
Salazar left after a Cedar Park single to open the seventh, but Nathan Miller struck out three straight batters to close out the series and send Rouse to the regional semifinals.
Like a year ago when it finished fourth in the district and then made a memorable run to the regional final, Rouse — which finished third in District 25-5A this year — seems to be playing its best when it matters most.
“There’s no better feeling than rolling, for sure,” Forsell said. “Coming into these games, we’re playing every game like we could go home even if we’re up in the series. It’s purely mentality at that point from the benches to the starting pitcher. We’re all firing on all cylinders right now, and it feels really, really good.”
More: UIL baseball playoffs: Rouse off to Class 5A regional quarterfinals
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: UIL baseball playoffs: Rouse sweeps Cedar Park to advance to Class 5A regional semifinals
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