DENTON — The Rider baseball team has advanced to the regional quarterfinals for the first time in eight years.
A six-run third inning was enough for the Raiders to eliminate Midlothian Heritage as they hung on for a 7-5 victory in Game 3 at Ryan High School.
Alex Wilburn helped keep Rider’s final season going by pitching two shutout innings in relief, striking out three Heritage batters. Wilburn also had three hits and scored two runs.
Chris Chavez’s two-run single and Owen Hooper’s two-run double enabled Rider to jump out to a 6-0 lead in the top of the third. Heritage kept chipping away, pulling within 7-5 with two unearned runs in the fifth.
However, Wilburn stopped the comeback, allowing Rider (26-9) to face Grapevine in the regional quarterfinals next week. The Raiders lost a three-game series to the Mustangs last year in the area round.
The Raiders forced a Game 3 behind Tanner Poirot’s one-hitter in Friday’s 5-0 victory. Rider scored all its runs in the fourth inning thanks in part to a Poirot single and a Kohen Maroney triple.
Rider dropped Game 1 on Thursday 5-4 when Heritage tied the game in the sixth and went ahead in the seventh on a passed ball.
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Holliday waits out rain, Jim Ned
ABILENE — Holliday and Jim Ned waited about five hours Saturday for storms to pass so they could resume the sixth inning of their tied Game 3 at Abilene Christian.
Once they did, the Eagles escaped a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the sixth and took advantage of multiple Indian errors in the seventh to advance with a 6-4 victory.
Jayden Whitley earned the win in relief as Holliday eliminated Jim Ned for the third straight year. The Eagles will get Brock in the regional quarterfinals.
The rain delay wasn’t the only unusual happening in the series. Game 1 lasted 13 innings Thursday at Hoskins as Holliday won 2-1 on an error. Cooper Turner (14 strikeouts in eight innings) and Rylan Hutchins combined to allow five hits in the opener.
The Eagles almost avoided having to play Saturday, taking a 1-0 lead into the seventh inning of Game 2 on Thursday. A dropped third strike with two outs kept Jim Ned alive, and the Indians scored their two runs on a throwing error and passed ball for a 2-1 win.
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Jacksboro beats down Blanco
BROWNWOOD — Jacksboro pulled away from Blanco on Saturday afternoon, capturing an 11-1 victory in Game 2 and earning a Region I-3A area round sweep.
The Tigers broke open a 1-1 game in the fourth with three runs and then added a five-run sixth to invoke the mercy rule. Cannon Valenzuela and Brayden Rockey both drove in two runs, and Jackson McComis allowed four hits and struck out five in earning the win.
Jacksboro put itself in position for the sweep with Thursday’s 7-0 win in Game 1. Kasey Swan tossed a three-hit shutout, while Lando Belcher notched three hits and two RBIs.
The Tigers (26-7-1) will meet district mate Iowa Park in the regional semifinals after the Hawks took down No. 2 Wall in a one-game playoff Friday.
Era edges Windthorst on walk-off
BOWIE — Era ended Windthorst’s season on Saturday afternoon with a 4-3 walk-off win in Game 3 of the Region II-2A area series.
The Trojans took a 2-0 lead into the bottom of the fifth when Era scored three times. Jaxon Stark’s two-out RBI single in the top of the seventh tied the game, but the Hornets returned the favor with a two-out single in the bottom half to advance.
Windthorst won the opener 11-0 Friday behind Conner Schreiber’s strong pitching performance (nine strikeouts, two hits in 5 2/3 innings) and Hayden Cavazos’s three RBIs. However, Era evened the series later that night with a 15-0 win.
Stephenville sweeps Burkburnett
GRAHAM — Burkburnett’s season came to an end Thursday as Stephenville swept the Bulldogs 3-2 and 4-1 in the Region I-4A area round.
Riley Akins shook off a tough first inning and allowed one run the rest of the way in the opener, but the Bulldogs only mustered runs on Brayden Harpole’s RBI single and sac fly.
Harpole’s RBI double gave Burkburnett an early lead in Game 2, but Stephenville scored twice in the first inning and never trailed again to close out the series.
Electra scores 26 runs in Ector sweep
SANGER — Electra scored in every single inning it went to bat Wednesday, sweeping Ector 14-4 and 12-2 in two mercy-rule wins.
No. 9 hitter Lance McMahen led the charge with five hits — including a homer — and five RBIs, while Collin McKiddy had three hits in each game. Brayden Turner and Jeremiah Murphy earned the victories.
The Tigers (19-4) will face Dodd City in a one-game regional semifinal at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday in Sanger.
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