Pearland avenges loss to Flower Mound 2-1 to advance to finals

June 8, 2024

It has been a year since Pearland lost to Flower Mound 6-4 in the 2023 Class 6A state title game. The Oilers focused on returning back to the 2024 state baseball tournament and drew Flour Mound in the state semifinal contest.

As he has done throughout the playoffs, junior All-Stater Nico Partida left his shortstop position and put the team on his back in the 6A state semifinals.

In the game that saw nationally ranked Flower Mound’s title defense end, Partida didn’t let that happen for the 2023 6A state champion that beat his team in last year’s state final.

Partida, an Arizona State pledge, gave up four hits and one run through seven innings on the mound. He struck out three batters on Flower Mound’s star-studded batting lineup.

“Nico has never lost a high school start. I think he’s 17-0 now,” Flower Mound Danny Wallace said. “We didn’t strike out much at all, but we just couldn’t get the big hit.”

Flower Mound (40-6) pitcher Zack James also spent seven innings on the mound. He struck out six batters and allowed seven hits, but two surrendered runs early in the game gave Pearland the edge.

Brady Brewer hit an RBI single to give Pearland a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. In the top of the third inning, John Moya singled, driving in Walker Hurst and increasing Pearland’s lead to 2-0.

Flower Mound (40-4) really only saw a spark when Texas A&M pledge Adrian Rodriguez hit his double down the line in the bottom of the sixth inning, but three quick Flower Mound outs in the bottom of the seventh secured Pearland’s spot in the 6A state championship game for a second consecutive year.

Pearland will meet Tomball (40-3) in the 6A state final at 4 p.m. Saturday at Dell Diamond. Tomball beat San Antonio Johnson 2-0 to take the other final slot.

This year will mark the first time since 2017 that a Dallas-area team has not won a 6A state baseball title and the first time since then that a Dallas-area 6A team has not appeared in the 6A state final.

Looks like it will be a Houston-area state final and state champion.