HS Baseball Playoffs: Conroe Survives to Fight Another Day Following Game 2 Win

KYLE, TX -- The Conroe Tigers rode early production and strong defense to win a 2-1 game two against the Midway Panthers, forcing a winner-takes-all game three at noon on Saturday.

Thursday and game one were not kind to the Tigers. Midway jumped on the scoreboard early and mercilessly hit themselves into a 13-0 win that set the tone for what the top-30 squad is capable of.

But games of the past did not faze Conroe in previous rounds of the playoffs. A clean understanding of the playoff mentality has gotten the Tigers to this point, and they were not going to stray from it.

In an exclusive interview with The Woodlands Online Sports, Conroe Head Coach Jeff Raymer discussed how the team succinctly moved on from game one and readied themselves for a bounce-back.

“We talked to the guys after yesterday about, as many runs as they scored, it only counts as one game,” said Raymer. “We had to put that game behind us and understand that there’s a reason we play a series.”

The ferocious mentality of aggressive baserunning had gotten Conroe wins in past series, and they continued to push their luck by getting runners on early.

In just the top of the first, the Tigers pushed runners into scoring position. Jaden Keith led the way on the basepath, coming home on a base hit from Ed Rothlander to quickly get the Tigers on the board before Midway had a chance to settle in.

“That run reminds us that yesterday was over and today’s a new game,” said Raymer. “So to get that run across in the first inning was important, and to put up a zero against them following was even more important.”

Lockdown work from the Conroe fielders and combined pitchers led to a mighty defensive effort that was the complete opposite of the run-rule game on Thursday.

Midway was held scoreless through five innings of play. The hitting that got the team up in game one was nowhere to be seen, replaced by batters that swung at air against the elusive pitching of the Conroe rotation of Collan Bowley and Sam Buzbee.

“A huge part of our win tonight was the guys we had on the mound,” explained Raymer. “Bowley really worked us out of some jams, and Buzbee came in and did what he has done for us the entire year.”

Even the balls that were put into play by the Panther batters were chased down by a fiery Conroe fielding unit that fought to keep their clean sheet alive.

The Tiger effort was aided by a timely hit in the top of the fourth, with a two-out RBI triple from Parker Watson that brought home a second Tiger run to make the game 2-0.

The buzz in the Conroe fanbase was feverish, with loud cheers, chants, and yells drowning out the sounds of the central Texas wind.

Conroe’s buzz was briefly silenced by a lead-off solo home run from the Panthers that cut the lead in half in the bottom of the sixth, but the confidence in the team’s execution remained a focal point for the Tigers.

Clinical execution and clutch plays during tough outs got the Tigers out of trouble as the game drew to a close. Three straight outs in the bottom of the seventh ended the night in a 2-1 Conroe victory to keep the season and the series alive.

“It’s going to be a completely different game, and we understand that, and we understand that Midway is a team that hasn’t had to play a game three yet,” said Raymer. “But because we’ve played two game threes, the situation won’t be too big for us. We’ll at least be able to go out there and play our game and whatever happens happens.”

The winner-takes-all game three will take place at Lehnam High School at high noon, with an expected temperature to reach near triple digits. A red-hot venue for a red-hot matchup.

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