Greyhounds advance to regional semis, face Bishop in next round

For the first time this year, the Boerne High baseball team went a full three games in a playoff series and faced an elimination game and were on the brink of elimination, but the Greyhounds were up for the challenge as they defeated El Campo in Game 3 to close it out last Friday night.

BHS got a little help from the Ricebirds as the series came down to the final out, in the final inning of the final game.

With two out and two on in the bottom of the seventh and the Greyhounds trailing 2-1, Walker Hill hit a ball to centerfield that was misplayed and allowed two runs to score to give Boerne the improbable walk-off 3-2 victory.

Boerne won the first game Thursday, 5-2, dropped the second game Friday afternoon, 5-4, and then turned around and played Game 3 later that night and won it 3-2, to advance to the next round. All games were played in Sinton.

The Greyhounds improved to 28-9 and will play a series against Bishop in the fourth round and could play at three different sites if the series goes all three games.

Game 1 is Thursday in Jourdanton, 6 p.m. Game 2 is Friday at Wolff Stadium in San Antonio at 1 p.m. The Greyhounds graduate that night and an afternoon game allows them to make it back home by the 8 p.m. ceremony.

A third game, if needed, is Saturday at Coastal Bend College in Beeville, 11 a.m.

Game 3

The Ricebirds had a fast start and loaded the bases to open the game in the top of the first before the Greyhounds could get an out.

A single and a fielder’s choice pushed in 2 runs for the 2-0 El Campo lead before BHS had batted.

Dylan Perez game up in the bottom of the third and sent a solo shot out of the park to put the Hounds on the board and make it 2-1.

It stayed at 2-1 until the bottom of the seventh. El Campo retired the first two BHS batters with a ground out and a pop up to centerfield and the Greyhounds were down to their final out. Grant Tamplet singled and then Perez was intentionally walked to put the winning run on base.

Walker Hill came up and hit a ball to centerfield that was mishandled and dropped, allowing Tamplet and Perez to score to end the game and the celebration began for the Hounds, while the Ricebirds were in shock.

Afterwards, several Boerne players went to the El Campo centerfielder to console him after he bobbled the Hill hit.

Hutson Hendrix singled and Ryan Hooper doubled in the contest as well.

Hudson McNew started on the mound and gave up 3 hits, 2 runs and 4 walks in 6.1 innings of work to go with 8 strike outs.

Perez came in to close it out and was the winner since he was the pitcher of record when Boerne scored its last two runs. Perez faced 4 batters and fanned 2, walked one and hit a batter.

Game 2

The second game of the series came down to the last inning as well as 7 of the 9 total runs scored in the game came in the final frame.

It was tied at 1-1 after both teams scored a run in the fourth inning. It stayed there until the seventh when the Ricebirds plated 4 runs in the top of the inning for the 5-1 lead.

The Greyhounds still had last bats and almost tied it and won it in the bottom of the frame, but came up a run short.

FOURTH ROUND 4A BASEBALL PLAYOFFS

REGIONAL SEMIFINALS BOERNE VS. BISHOP • Game 1, Thursday May 23, in Jourdanton, 6 p.m.

• Game 2, Friday, May 24, at Wolff Stadium, 1 p.m.

• Game 3, Saturday, May 25, at Coastal Bend College, 11 a.m.

Two singles and a walk loaded the bases with one out for BHS. Walker Hill singled and scored Jackson Grimes from third and it was 5-2.

Jace Preston followed and singled to score Grant Tamplet and Dylan Perez and the El Campo lead was down to 5-4 and there was still only one out and the tying run with Hill was at second but that’s where the rally ended.

The next Boerne batter struck out and then the Ricebirds ended it with a fly ball to right that was caught to force a Game 3.

BHS had 11 hits, all singles and received 2 hits apiece from Grant Tamplet, Jackson Grimes and Hudson McNew. Grimes and Tamplet scored 1 run each.

Dylan Perez singled and scored, Walker Hill hit an RBI single, Jace Preston singled and pushed in 2 runs, Hutson Hendrix singled, while Ryan Hooper singled and picked up an RBI.

Grimes started and went 6.1 innings. He yielded 8 hits, 4 runs, 4 walks and fanned 9.

Tanner Tuschinski and Thomas Puckett closed out the game on the mound and both faced 3 batters each.

Game 1

Hudson McNew helped the Greyhounds get off to a fast start. After Dylan Perez walked, McNew homered in the first inning to give BHS a 2-0 lead.

A Reese House single, followed by a sac bunt and a double from Perez gave Boerne a 3-0 edge by the second.

El Campo jumped on the board in the third with two runs after they recorded a single and a walk, followed by a 2-RBI double and it was 3-2.

It stayed there until the sixth when the Greyhounds picked up a couple of insurance runs.

BHS loaded the bases with a single by Walker Hill, an intentional walk to McNew and another walk to Hutson Hendrix.

Ryan Hooper singled to bring in Hill and make it 4-2 and the bases were still juiced.

Later in the inning, Ronnie Scarbrough, McNew’s courtesy runner, scored from third on a passed ball for the 5-2 lead in what turned out to be the final run of the game.

Campbell Jackson threw 97 pitches and tossed all seven innings to get the complete- game victory. He yielded 4 hits, 2 runs, 1 walk and fanned 7.

BHS had 10 hits including 2 apiece from Ryan Hooper, Hudson McNew and Reese House. McNew drove in 2 runs, scored a run and was walked twice, Hooper picked up an RBI and House plated a run.

Dylan Perez doubled, walked and picked up an RBI, Hill singled and scored, Hendrix singled and walked, while Ronnie Scarbrough scored 2 runs.

NOTES: Bishop is coming off a best-of-three series win over district foe Tuloso- Midway in the last round. The Badgers dropped the first game, 7-4, but won the next two, 5-0 and 5-3. They did the same thing against Pleasanton in the second round. The Badgers fell to the Eagles in the first game, 13-1, but won the next two, 1-0 and 4-3. Bishop swept Hidalgo in the opening round, 8-0 and 2-0. … The Badgers were the fourthplace team in the district at 5-5, while Tuloso-Midway won it at 8-2. Bishop went 21-13-2 this season.