OVERTON SWEEPS BECKVILLE | Mustangs to 2A-DII state semifinals with a pair of wild wins

LONGVIEW – Bryce Still had an inside-the-park home run, Jayden Edwards had an inside-the-park GRAND SLAM, the pitchers did their thing, and Beckville had their hands full.

That pretty much describes the University Interscholastic League’s Class 2A, Division II Region III Finals Wednesday night here at Longview High School, where the Overton High School Mustangs swept Beckville, 11-5, then 14-4, to win the series two games to none.

Overton (29-7) moves on to the 2A-DII state semifinals, where coach Chris Cook’s Mustangs will face either Shiner (25-4) or Burton (21-10) next week, in the state semifinals.

The Mustangs are trying to earn their first trip to the state tournament since 2009, when they reached the state semifinals and lost there to Miles. That Overton team finished 28-5.

For now, though, for a day or two, at least, rest for Overton after a pair of games that – while the scores were kind of lopsided – still had to take a lot out of both teams.

When the next series is set for the Mustangs, we’ll have the information here on ETBlitz.com, and on our socials.

Overton 11, Beckville 5 (Game one): Overton scored three runs in the third inning, added a run each in the fourth and fifth, got an inside-the-park home run from speedy Bryce Still, and some good pitching, and shook it all up for the perfect recipe to win game one of the playoff series with Beckville.

Overton had 11 hits in the game, including Still’s round-tripper – and we mean, round-tripper; Still ran the bases with blurring speed and didn’t slow up – in the fifth inning to give the Mustangs a 5-1 lead at the time.

Beckville plated a few runs on bases-loaded walks, but committed six errors, some leading to late-in-the-game insurance runs for the Mustangs.

Braxton Harper went 2-for-5 with 2 RBI; Bryson Bobbitt went 2-for-4 and scored three runs. Landon Hill went 1-for-4 with 2 RBI. Still had the homer. Mason Rowe went 1-for-3 and scored a run. Rylan Holleman had a single and an RBI. Joey Zalman had a hit. Brody Brown had a hit and an RBI.

Rowe and Harper each had two stolen bases; Zalman, Brown, Still, Hill and Jayden Edwards each had one.

Holleman pitched 5 2/3 innings and allowed the five runs, only two earned, on seven hits, three walks and struck out seven. Still came on and went 1 1/3 innings, walked one, allowed no runs and no hits.

Overton 14, Beckville 4 (Game two): Early-on, things were looking good for the Bearcats.

Braxton Bullock got a first-inning hit, and came around to score, eventually, on an RBI single by Aiden Harris (1-0 Beckville).

In the bottom of the inning, Mason Rowe got a one-out hit, a hopper over the shortstop. Two batters later, with an out, Rylan Holleman came to the plate, and on a high throw, Rowe stole second. He took third when the pitcher tried a pick-off attempt at second, and the ball went in to center field.

Holleman walked, with runners at the corners for the Mustangs, and for Harper, who put the ball into play to shallow center – the hit scored Rowe, an RBI single, and sent Holleman to second, leaving two on with two outs.

Landon Hill, the pitcher, drew a two-out walk, and Still, with bases loaded, also walked – that scored the go-ahead run (2-1 Overton).

Beckville managed to get out of the inning, but Overton grabbed a 2-1 advantage.

Reese Davis scored for Beckville on a sacrifice fly in the top of the second to tie the game (2-2).

Overton got two quick outs in the top of the third, and Baker Seegers broke it up with a single. No problem, Hill, said, and got out three at the plate, a strikeout.

Brody Brown drew a lead-off walk in the bottom of the third. Holleman went to a full count, and then was hit by a pitch – two on, no outs for Braxton Harper. Harper singled, and it looked to be deep enough, but the throw from right field to the catcher made it in time and Brown was tagged out at home.

Seegers managed to strike out Hill, and then Still flied out, leaving two on and the game tied, 2-2.

Beckville’s top of the fourth saw Davis reach with a deep fly single, and then he got caught in the run-down. He was tagged out – and then officials ruled a balk, and gave Davis second base.

Joey Zalman made a great catch in right to give the Mustangs the first out on the Bearcats, and Hill struck out Reed Jackson for out two. Still caught a fly ball by Aiden Brantley for out three.

Zalman was hit by a pitch to give Overton the lead-off man to first base. Gabe Miller came on as a courtesy runner.

A bizarre call during Jayden Edwards’ at bat – some kind of interference call on the base path – sent Edwards to the dugout as an out, and Miller back to first. Miller would steal second later, anyway, during an at-bat by Bryson Bobbitt.

Bobbitt hit a double, and Miller was held up at third – still, though, runners in scoring position for Mason Rowe.

It was back-to-back doubles for Overton, as Rowe hit one, too, and scored both Miller and Bobbitt, giving the Mustangs a 4-2 lead.

After a single by Brody Brown, Holleman was intentionally-walked, which loaded the bases. Harper also walked, bringing in a run (5-2) and chasing Seegers from the game – Chapman came on to the mound for the Bearcats.

Things would get worse for Beckville.

Hill put the ball in play and was thrown out at first, but he got an RBI, giving Overton a 6-2 lead, and then a runner scored on a wild pitch (7-2).

Zalman drew a walk again, and then Edwards with Overton’s second inside-the-park home run, in effect a grand slam, and an 11-2 Overton lead.

Most of this damage happened with two outs.

Beckville finally got out of the nightmarish inning (for them), and the in the top of the fifth, Bullock kept any hope the Bearcats had alive by reaching on an error.

The Bearcats would get a run in the top of the fifth, but Hill got out two with a pitch to home plate, and then left the mound to a big ovation from Overton fans. Still took his place on the mound, and Hill went to first. Harper moved to center.

The Mustangs got out of the situation, and to the bottom of the fifth they went.

Brown, the lead-off batter, was thrown out on a one-hopper by Bullock, a nice play.

Holleman, at the plate with an out in the books, drew a walk, then stole second in an at-bat by Harper. Harper singled, and Hill came to the plate with runners at the corners.

Holleman and Harper pulled a fast one, a double steal, it looked like; Harper was caught in a run-down between first and second, but Holleman scored (12-3).

Hill walked, and then stole second on a pick-off attempt gone bad: the ball got past the first baseman and Hill went to second.

He went to third on a passed ball, but Still was thrown out on a 6-3 double play to end the fifth.

Bulluck had an RBI in the top of the sixth (12-4).

But in the bottom, Zalman walked, and stole second on a wild pitch. Edwards also walked. Two batters later, with one out, Rowe got a single to load the bases.

With two outs and the bases still loaded, Holleman put the ball in play, and what looked like an easy out turned into a two-run error: Overton went up by 10, 14-4, for the run-rule win.

Edwards had the home run, 4 RBI, and scored twice. Bobbitt had the double. Brown had a single. Harper had the double, a single, an RBI and scored. Rowe had a double, a single, 2 RBI and scored twice. Jacob Osburn and Miller each scored twice. Zalman and Still each scored once, and Still had an RBI, as did Hill.

Rowe and Holleman each had two stolen bases, and Miller and Still each had one.

Hill went 4 2/3 on the mound and allowed three runs, just two earned, on seven hits, walked three and struck out three. Still came on late and threw 1 1/3 innings, allowed a run (earned) and a hit and a walk.