CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – The Smithson Valley Rangers battled through to earn a tense 4-3 victory over the Barbers Hill Eagles in Game 2 of the UIL Class 5A Division I state semifinals on Friday.
After the Rangers defeated the Eagles 4-0 at Whataburger Field on Thursday night, Smithson Valley swept the best-of-3 series to earn a spot in the state championship game.
With the echoes of their football team’s Class 5A-DI state title still ringing from December, the Rangers leaned on sharp hitting, steady pitching, and nerves of steel to keep their season alive, setting the stage for a high-stakes title clash next week.
Smithson Valley seized control in the top of the first inning. Rangers senior Blake Allen ripped a leadoff triple down the third base line. PK Moeller followed with an RBI single that put the Rangers up 1-0 before Barbers Hill could settle in.
Sophomore pitcher Cooper Gibson then took the mound, shutting down the Eagles in the bottom of the inning with a pinpoint called third strike.
The Rangers kept their foot on the gas in the second inning. Senior Andrew Lunsford mirrored Allen’s fire with a leadoff triple that split the gap in deep center.
Right after, Luke Schroeder capitalized. He drove in Lunsford home to push the lead to 2-0.
Barbers Hill, however, wasn’t going to go down without a fight after being held scoreless in Thursday night’s Game 1.
In the third inning, the Eagles’ bats stirred, scratching across a run to make it 2-1 with two runners on and one out.
The Eagles’ dugout buzzed, and their fans were loud, but a pivotal batter’s interference call halted their rally. Barbers Hill stranded its runners and kept Smithson Valley ahead by a thread.
By the sixth inning, Smithson Valley’s bats took charge, outhitting Barbers Hill 9-6.
With runners at the corners, one run crossed, and a bases-loaded sacrifice fly stretched the lead to 4-1.
Three outs separated the Rangers from the state title game, but Barbers Hill had other plans.
In the bottom of the seventh, an RBI double to deep right field brought the Eagles within 4-2, with two runners on and the go-ahead run at the plate.
The crowd held its breath as Smithson Valley turned to junior pitcher Jake Kirk in relief.
With one out and the season on the line, Kirk and the Rangers’ defense dug deep and slammed the door on Barbers Hill’s comeback bid to seal the 4-3 victory.
The Rangers now set their sights on the UIL Class 5A-DI state championship game, which is set for 7 p.m. next Friday at Dell Diamond in Round Rock.
Standing in their path will be either the battle-tested Aledo Bearcats or the surging McKinney North Bulldogs, who are both vying for the other title game spot.
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