Pearland comes alive to run-rule Austin Westlake in Texas (UIL) 6A baseball semifinals
By Buck Ringgold | Photos by Andrew McCulloch
ROUND ROCK, Texas - Austin Westlake couldn’t have asked for a better start to Friday’s Class 6A semifinal.
The first two Chaparrals got base hits off Pearland starting pitcher Nico Partida, producing a run in the process and giving Westlake the early lead.
However, Partida settled down considerably after that, and the Oilers were able to pick him up. Pearland went ahead to stay with a four-run third and broke things wide open with six runs in the fifth en route to an 11-1 win at the Dell Diamond.
The Oilers (38-6-1) move on to Saturday’s 6A championship game, set for 4 p.m. They will face Lewisville Flower Mound, which defeated Cypress Woods in Friday’s other semifinal.
“I have no words that can explain it,” said Partida, a sophomore who has committed to Arizona State. “To get to have this chance so early in my high school career, I mean no words. No words at all.”
Partida entered Friday’s game with a sparkling 12-0 record. Westlake, though, got to him early.
Braeden Babb led off the bottom of the first with a double to deep left. He came around to score when the next batter, Theo Gillen, singled to left as Westlake (40-5) grabbed a 1-0 advantage.
But Partida proceeded to retire the next three batters to get out of further trouble. Starting with that stretch, he sat down 12 of the next 13 batters, with the Chaps’ lone baserunner drawing a third-inning walk.
“I was coming out here trying to throw strikes and let my defense do work,” Partida said. “They’ve been incredible all year; they’ve always been working out for me and my outfield’s been the same. … I know I got shaken up early in the game, but I feel like I settled in and threw strikes and let the defense do the work.”
The Oilers’ offense, meanwhile, came alive in the top of the third after Westlake starter Nathan Duvall held them to one hit over the first two frames.
Pearland got four runs on four hits in the third. The Oilers tied the score on an RBI double to deep right from Caden Ferraro, a senior and Texas A&M signee.
Partida then gave Pearland the lead with a sacrifice fly to right, as Brett Smajstria beat the throw to home plate. The Oilers made it 4-1 on two-out RBI singles from Braeden Morse and John Moya.
“Once we got like one or two runs; I mean, all year all we needed was one run and I could hold them in,” Partida said. “Once we got four straight, I knew we could win it.”
Pearland extended its lead in the top of the fifth, scoring six runs for a 10-1 advantage. Avalos had a two-run single to highlight the inning.
The Oilers capped the scoring on another Avalos hit, an RBI single to left in the sixth.
For the game, Avalos went 3-for-3 with three RBIs as Pearland finished the night with 12 hits. Moya, Ferraro and Cade Adams each went 2-for-3 as well, with Moya driving in three runs.
Partida provided the exclamation point by catching a line drive with one out in the bottom of the sixth and a runner on first. The runner strayed from the bag, and that gave Partida plenty of time to throw over to first for the game-ending double play as Pearland got the run-rule win.
On the night, Partida went six complete innings and gave up one earned run on four hits, striking out two. Babb had two of those hits, as he went 2-for-3.
The Oilers now will be going for their first state title since 1980. Partida believes if the offense can do Saturday what they did Friday, they could be in great shape to get the job done.
“(We’ve got to) keep the bats hot,” he said. “It’s a lot hard to beat a team that scores 11 runs, so keep the bats hot and keep throwing strikes and I think we got it.”
More UIL state baseball
- Lewisville Flower Mound advances to Texas (UIL) 6A baseball state title behind four-run first inning
- Texarkana Liberty-Eylau rides explosive start into Texas state baseball title: 'We can’t get too happy'
