Game 1
TYLER, Texas—It is easier for a team to win if it never trails.
Pleasant Grove kept its lead throughout the game and defeated Brownsboro, 7-4, in Game 1 of a Class 4A area round playoff best-of-three series at Mike Carter Field on Thursday.
Nick Voyles started on the hill for the Hawks, threw 65 pitches over 4 2/3 innings, allowed two runs on three hits, struck out three, and walked one.
Bears' starter Carson Booth tossed 74 pitches over five innings, gave up five runs on seven hits, struck out two and walked one.
Marshall Cox paced Pleasant Grove at the plate as he went 2 for 4 with a double, a single, and 3 RBI.
Jackson Cobb led off the first with a triple to right center for the Hawks. Ben Harmon hit a hot roller up the middle as Cobb scored to give Pleasant Grove an early 1-0 lead.
Brownsboro tied it after a double and an RBI single in the first.
Marshall Cox slapped a 2-run single toward third base to give the Hawks a 3-1 lead in the second. Cobb, who was hit by a pitch, and Brock Bearden scored. Bearden was the courtesy runner for catcher Keaton Russo, who had bunted on safely.
PG's Tucker Anderson led off the fourth with a triple off the right field wall. Anderson was left stranded after Booth retired the next three batters.
Russo hit a Texas leaguer toward the first base line with no outs in the fifth. Seth Hopkins smacked an RBI double to left center and later scored on an error to give the Hawks a 5-2 edge.
The Bears plated two runs in the sixth to cut the deficit to just a run, 5-4.
Hopkins bunted on safely for a single to lead off the seventh for Pleasant Grove. Ben Harmon singled deep to third, and Cox hit a deep double off the right field wall as two Hawk runs scored. Pleasant Grove took a 7-4 lead into the seventh.
Marshall Oubre, who came in to pitch with two outs in the fifth, retired the Brownsboro side in the seventh to secure a Hawk victory.
Oubre tossed 2 1/3 innings on 46 pitches, gave up two runs on two hits, struck out one and walked two.
See Saturday's edition and online for coverage of Game 2, which was played after Game 1 as a doubleheader.
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Pleasant Grove=102=020=2=—=7=10=1
Brownsboro=010=102=0=—=4=6=1
Nick Voyles, Marshall Oubre (5) and Keaton Russo. Carson Booth, Michael McCallie (6) and Johnny Surlet. WP-Voyles. LP-Booth.
TYLER, Texas—Pleasant Grove got the better end of a pitcher's duel and defeated Brownsboro, 1-0, in Game 2 of a best-of-three Class 4A area baseball playoff series at Mike Carter Field on Thursday.
The Hawks rolled to a 7-4 win in Game 1, which was the first game of the twin bill.
"We are happy with winning two games in the playoffs, but we are not satisfied with some areas," Pleasant Grove head coach Riley Fincher said. "We made too many base-running mistakes. We will get to practice five or six days, so anytime we can keep playing, then we are happy."
Pleasant Grove will take on either Kilgore or Wills Point in the Class 4A regional quarterfinals next week.
Ryan Galvan pitched the Hawks to the win, tossed 91 pitches over seven innings, gave up no runs on four hits, struck out five and walked two.
Hawks' batter Seth Hopkins hits the ball pitched...
Photo by Hunt Mercier /Texarkana Gazette.
"Galvan came out and did what he does all year," Fincher said. "We had some opportunities early to score some runs but made some bone-headed mistakes."
Pleasant Grove senior catcher Keaton Russo knocked in what was the winning run on a double to centerfield to score Parker Twisdale.
Twisdale led off the sixth with a single to right and stole second.
"It was good to see Russo come up big there in the sixth inning," Fincher said. "It was also good to see Galvan go out there to pitch the seventh and close it down."
With an out in the seventh, a Bears' single and a walk put two on with one out. The lead runner moved up to third on a wild pitch.
Galvan induced a grounder to second, and Brownsboro seemingly tied up the game. But the Hawks' shortstop threw to first to try and get the double play.
The runner beat out the throw at first but was called out due to runner interference at second base, and the game ended.
The Hawks had a total of just five base runners through five frames.
PG's Seth Hopkins walked in the first but was caught stealing, and Tucker Anderson reached on an error in the third.
Andrew LeGrand walked in the third and Jackson Cobb singled but was thrown out trying to reach second on a Brownsboro error.
Galvan walked in the fifth with an out for the Hawks, but was thrown out on a double play.
Brownsboro pitcher Braydon Ballard tossed 81 pitches over six innings, gave up a run on three hits, walked four, struck out two, and hit a batter.
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Pleasant Grove=000=001=X=—=1=3=1
Braydon Ballard and Johnny Surlet. Ryan Galvan and Keaton Russo. WP-Galvan. LP-Ballard.
