Baseball playoffs: The Woodlands sweeps Atascocita

THE WOODLANDS, Texas – The Woodlands High School baseball team completed a sweep of its best-of-three playoff series with Atascocita on Friday with an 8-2 win on the road. Both the College Park High School and Oak Ridge High School baseball teams had their respective series extended to a third and deciding game, to be played on Saturday.

Like in its series opener, a 6-0 win at Scotland Yard on Thursday, the Highlanders scored early and often. The Woodlands (29-3) scored three times in the first inning on Friday and added a five-run third inning for good measure.

That gave pitcher Carter Hope all the cushion he would need to go the distance and pick up the win. Hope fired a three-hitter, striking out nine along the way.

Blaine Gillespie picked up where he left off on Thursday with three more hits Friday. He added two more RBI. Charlie Warren equaled the effort with three hits and two RBI of his own as the two paced the Highlanders’ 14-hit attack.

Hillin Warren added two hits and Alex Dunlap drove in two runs.

The Woodlands advances to the area round to meet Stony Point. Dates, times and sites are to be determined.

Two other local teams hope to join the Highlanders in the area round. They’ll get that opportunity on Saturday.

The Oak Ridge War Eagles battled back from one game down to even the series with a 7-5 win over Kingwood at home Friday. The two teams decide the series at 2 p.m. Saturday at New Caney High School.

Oak Ridge (20-11) forced a Game 3 with a 10-hit attack to compliment the complete-game pitching effort of Luken Baker, who yielded five hits and struck out seven in earning the win.

Bryce Foley collected two hits, drove in two runs and scored another while Zack Maidens added two more hits and scored twice. Brandon Navarro also had two hits and scored a run. Alex Walker, Zack Rollins, Riley McKnight and Colyn Gallagher contributed with one hit and an RBI apiece.

The College Park Cavaliers (16-18-1) were taken to a third game by District 13-5A champions Klein Collins. The Tigers (23-8) won a 3-1 decision on Friday at The Diamonds at College Park. The series will be decided at 4 p.m. Saturday at Klein Collins.

The Tigers scored all its runs in the first inning before Bill Ferderer threw seven full innings of shutout relief, striking out six.

However, the Cavaliers managed just four hits. David Ellingson had two of those and drove in College Park’s lone run.