'Throwback ball players': Bishop is moving on in the UIL baseball playoffs, here's how they did it

Bishop baseball coach Mike Medina said any game against a district opponent, especially in the rugged District 31-4A, is all about taking advantage of opportunities. The Badgers certainly did that over the final two games of their Class 4A regional quarterfinal series win against district rival Tuloso-Midway.

Saturday and one day after a stellar pitching performance from a freshman to even the series, and two days after the Warriors used some late-inning dramatics to win, the Badgers put themselves in position to knock off District 31-4A champion T-M for a second straight game. And Bishop did.

Using a combination of timely hitting, solid pitching and defense, and some "old school" baseball, the Badgers topped Tuloso-Midway 5-3 in Game 3 and won the series 2-1 to earn a spot in next week's regional semifinals against Region IV power Boerne.

For the third time in three playoff series, the Badgers have knocked off a district champion and this time it was a team that beat them twice during the regular season.

"It feels great, we pulled our weight and we decided to pick it up," said Bishop's Jalen Arriaga, who earned the save and was 1 for 3 on the day with two RBIs. "We know what a good ball club they are, and we just decided to swing ... simple."

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Eighth inning dramatics

To say the eighth inning was dramatic was an understatement. After Bishop tied the game in the fifth at three, the two clubs could not push a run across over the next two innings, even though both had chances, including the Badgers loading the bases in the seventh. In the eighth, though, Bishop's penchant for scoring runs at key times popped up again.

The Badgers scored two runs, one on a passed ball and another on an RBI single by Arriaga for a 5-3 lead.

T-M, though, did not go down easy as the Warriors loaded the bases on a hit batter and two walks, all with two outs, as Josh Garcia, the home run hero from Thursday night coming up to the plate. Arriaga, who started the game and threw 4 2/3 innings but had some pitches left re-entered the game. On a full count, he induced Garcia to fly out to left field to clinch the game.

"I was just trying to breath, relax my mind, relax my heart, slow my heart rate down as coach (Mike) Medina preaches and just trying to get an out for my team, so we can move on," said Arriaga, who allowed one walk and a total of 10 hits in his combined outing.

Tuloso-Midway takes charge early

The Warriors found some offense they were missing from Friday night's 5-0 loss, scoring two runs in the third as one run scored on a Bishop error and another on an RBI single by Zaccariah Morales. An inning later, the Warriors plated another run on a Javier Vela two-out RBI single for a 3-1 lead.

But the Warriors could not plate any more runs the remainder of the game, leaving six runners on in the fifth through the seventh innings. T-M also had 12 hits in the game.

Big bunt for Bishop

The Badgers rallied again, though, this time with two runs in the fifth, and with a gutsy bunt call with two outs. One batter after Arriaga brought in a run with a sacrifice fly to center, Medina called for a bunt with runners on first and third. The gamble worked as Gabe Garcia laid down a perfect bunt down the third base line to score CJ Ruiz to tie the game at 3-3, setting up the game's dramatic ending.

"This ballclub and the players that represent the great Bishop community, you know we coach, train and teach them to be throwback ball players," Medina said. "The old school values, old school roots, those tough ball players that just are gritty, never giving up, even in the face of adversity we stick with what we are trained, taught and coached to do. This was a great example because this was a game of attrition, it was going to be last pitcher standing, who can get the out."

This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Bishop baseball wins in the playoffs again, here's how they beat T-M