Photos: Marcus scores 17 straight against SGP, advances to Texas 6A baseball regional semifinals

FLOWER MOUND, Texas — Flower Mound Marcus used an offensive explosion to erase an early deficit and secure a 17-3 win over South Grand Prairie in Game 2 of their best-of-three regional quarterfinal series Friday in the Class 6A Texas high school baseball playoffs.

The Marauders — who led the series after a 10-0 victory Thursday — fell in a 3-0 first-inning hole, but rallied by scoring 17 unanswered runs against the Warriors to seal a 14-run win in six innings.

Senior outfielder and leadoff hitter Jake Duer led the way offensively for Marcus. He broke the seal with a two-run home run for the Marauders and finished a 3-for-5 night with a pair of doubles, three RBI and three runs scored.

Jacob Morgan also tallied a home run, two doubles, four RBI and a pair of runs in a 3-for-5 performance at the plate, and Nathan Harmon notched two runs, two RBI, a double and a steal during a 2-for-4 night for Flower Mound Marcus.

Junior pitcher Logan Boertje picked up the win for Marcus after entering the game as a reliever. He finished with seven strikeouts through 3 2/3 hitless innings.

Senior Adrian Najar was saddled with the loss on the mound for SGP with seven hits and six earned runs allowed in addition to strikeouts in 3 2/3 innings pitched.

The loss drops South Grand Prairie to 25-9 overall this year and ends the program's deepest postseason run of the last decade.

Flower Mound Marcus, meanwhile, improves to 29-6-2 overall with the win and advances to the regional semifinals for the second consecutive season.

The Marauders will face the Keller Indians (24-6) in a best-of-three series in the Region I-6A semifinals next weekend with game times and locations still to be determined.

(All photos by Robbie Rakestraw)

PHOTO GALLERY: FLOWER MOUND MARCUS 17, SOUTH GRAND PRAIRIE 3