CARTHAGE — The Beckville Bearcats baseball team came oh so close to a best-of-three sweep against the Douglass Indians in a 2A Region III semifinal series.
Beckville had a one run lead going into the bottom of the seventh with ace Aiden Brantley on the hill.
But Douglass took advantage of a fielding error followed by a walk and back-to-back hit batsmen before Jace Bobo delivered the game-winning sacrifice fly as Douglass defeated Beckville 3-2 in Game 2 of the best of 3 series on Thursday night at Jim Reeves Memorial Field in Carthage.
Bobo got the win on the hill throwing the final one and 1/3 innings, allowing just one hit, no runs, no walks and striking out two. Bobo came in relief of starter Payton Bragg, who got the no decision despite throwing five and 2/3 innings of three hit ball. Bragg allowed three hits, two runs (one earned), walked seven and struck out nine.
Brantley got the loss — his first of the postseason — as the sophomore threw six and 2/3 innings. He allowed four hits, three runs (one earned), walked one and struck out seven.
Douglass (25-10) took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third on an Andy Melton solo home run.
Beckville (25-6) took a 2-1 lead in the top of the fifth when senior catcher Daxton Etheredge delivered a two-RBI double.
Brantley went 2-for-3 at the plate with a run scored, while Aiden Harris provided the Bearcats’ fourth hit of the game with single.
Gavin Robinson doubled with an RBI, while Drew Bobo singled and scored for the Indians.
Beckville committed three errors in the contest to just one from Douglass.
The Bearcats and Indians will face-off Saturday at 2 p.m. at Nacogodoches High School in the decisive Game 3 of the series.
Game 1
Senior Colby Davidson threw five innings of shutout ball as Beckville combined timely hits and took advantage of seven Douglass errors as the Bearcats mercy-ruled the Indians 13-0 in five innings in Game 1 of the best-of-three series on Thursday.
Beckville scored six runs in both the third and fourth inning to cruising to victory.
Davidson threw all five innings. He allowed three hits, no runs, walked five and struck out three.
Brody Downs and Braxton Bullock both went 2-for-3 at the plate, with Downs scoring twice and Bullock once.
Baker Seegers tripled with three RBIs and a run scored, while Brantley, Davidson and Etheredge all doubled, with Etheredge having a pair of RBIs and one each for Brantley and Davidson. Matt Barr singled with an RBI and scored three runs in the game.
In all, Beckville finished with 10 hits and got hits from eight of their nine starters in the game.