GARY SLIPS BY OVERTON | Mustangs need to win game two to force a third-and-deciding game three
Gary pulled a fast one Thursday night in game one, escaping Hallsville High School with a 2-1 win against Overton.
The best-of-three-game series in the University Interscholastic League’s Class 2A, Division II playoffs will continue Friday night at Hallsville, a 5 p.m. start. The Mustangs will need to win game two to force a game three, and have a chance to win the series.
The Overton-Gary winner will face either Beckville or Hemphill in the next round. The current round is the regional semifinals, or round three. Beckville leads the series one game to none after beating Hemphill 4-2 at Panola College in Carthage Thursday night (more below).
In Hallsville, Gary (19-10) did something no team had been able to do for over a month: find a way to beat Overton.
The Bobcats picked up a run in the fourth inning, and another in the sixth. Overton (25-7) trailed 2-0 until they plated a run in the seventh – Mason Rowe scored, with Joey Zalman getting the RBI. But the Mustangs couldn’t get the game tied, falling by a run.
Unfortunately for Overton, the only two hits of the game for the Mustangs were by Rowe (a double, and then scored) and Brody Brown, a single.
Gary pitching struck out seven, and walked four (Rowe, Brown, Bryson Bobbitt and Jayden Edwards. Brown was also hit by a pitch. Brown and Bobbitt each had a stolen base in the game.
The Bobcats overcame two errors to get the win, which snapped a 12-game winning streak by the Mustangs, who were 3-0 in playoff games this postseason before Thursday.
There’s still another chance. If Overton wins game two on Friday, it’s a whole new series, one the Mustangs can still win.
In the other series, Beckville had a four-run fifth inning, then held on for the victory.
Beckville and Hemphill play again Friday in Shelbyville. If the Bearcats win that, Hemphill is out and Beckville is on to round four. If Hemphill wins game two, then game three of that series will be Saturday night at 7 in Lufkin.