Pearland edges North Shore in best-of-three series


PEARLAND — Pearland continued their playoff journey by sweeping the North Shore Mustangs in a best-of-three series 8-3 and 3-2. The win sends the Oilers to the Class 6A Region III semifinals to face Jersey Village who swept Katy in their best-of-three series.

Pearland will play Jersey Village in a best-of-three series with all three games at the University of Houston. They will play Thursday and Friday at 7:00 p.m. and Saturday (if needed) at 2:00 p.m.

Pearland 8 - North Shore 3

The Oilers scored three runs in the top of the second for a 3-0 lead. They added four more runs in the fifth frame for a 7-0 before North Shore scored in their half if the fifth to make the score 7-1.

Robert Patrick was the winning pitcher for Pearland as he allowed two hits and one run over four and two-third innings while striking out six North Shore hitters. He also issued seven free passes.

The Oilers scored eight runs on 11 hits that included five doubles.

Pearland took the lead in the second when Logan Scott singled to drive home Conner DeLeon and Anthony Avalos. Scott would score on an error for the 3-0 advantage.

In the fifth frame, Caden Ferraro would open with a double to right and would score when DeLeon walked to load the bases for a 4-0 lead.

Two walks and a single by Scott would score three more runs.

North Shore scored a run in the bottom of the fifth while Pearland matched the run in the top of the sixth.

The Mustangs would make the bottom of the seventh interesting with two more runs, but relief pitcher Jake Mader-Cooper would get the final out to record the save 8-3.

Top hitters for Pearland included Ferraro (2-for-5, 1 run), Cameron Ponce (2-for-2, 2 runs), Cain Landry (1-for-3, 1 run), DeLeon (2-for-3, 2 runs, 2 RBIs), Anthony Avalos (1-for-3, 1 run, 1 RBI), and Logan Scott (2-for-4, 1 run, 3 RBIs).

Pearland 3 - North Shore 2

This game wasn't decided until the final inning as both teams battle to a scoreless tie for the first six inning.

In the seventh frame, North Shore finally broke the tie by scoring two runs for a 2-0 lead giving the Oilers the chance to either tie the game to go into extra innings, score three runs to win the game and end the series, or lose the game to force a deciding game three.

Cameron Ponce led off the inning with a single to left field while Cain Landry and Conner DeLeon reached base via errors to load the bases with no outs.

Anthony Avalos singled to left to score Ponce to cut the lead to 2-1. With one out, Brett Smajstrla hits a sacrifice fly to right field that allowed Landry to score to tie the game while courtesy-runner Franco Aguilar moved to third.

After Carter Allen walked to load the bases, the North Shore pitcher threw a pitch that got past the catcher allowing Aguilar to score the game-winner 3-2.

Mark Zapata was the winning pitcher going seven innings, allowing two runs, three hits, three strikeouts, and walking three.

The Oilers improve to 27-7-1 on the season.