UIL baseball playoffs: Bowie, East View, Georgetown, Hendrickson sweep into area round

Bowie only needed two runs to win its Class 6A bi-district series.

That’s how good the Bulldogs’ pitching was.

Cole Miller struck out 12 and threw a one-hit shutout and Bowie won 1-0 off an RBI from Jaden Corzine for the second consecutive night to complete a sweep of Vista Ridge Friday at Glenn High School.

After Ryder Melsa tossed 7 2/3 innings scoreless innings and fanned nine in the series opener Thursday in a game that went eight innings, Miller was equally as impressive.

“Those guys only allowed two hits in two games,” Bowie coach Sam Degelia said. “They’re peaking and playing well. We have to ride them in the playoffs.”

Corzine, who was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to give the Bulldogs a walkoff win in Game 1, came through again with the bases loaded Friday with an RBI single in the fourth inning.

After missing nearly the entire district season with an injury, Corzine has returned and produced at the right time.

“I was just looking for a line drive, to put the ball in play and just trying to get an RBI,” Corzine said. “When you’re out for that long, to come back and help the team is amazing. It’s an unexplainable feeling.”

But Friday belonged to Miller.

He only had one walk, let two batters reach base and faced just one over the minimum when one of those runners was thrown out trying to steal.

Despite the impressive performance, Miller noted he wasn’t in a zone

“I’m not feeling much. The adrenaline is rushing hard, and I’m not thinking,” Miller said of his mindset on the mound. “It’s amazing to win this. A bunch of predictions had us not making the playoffs, and it’s great to keep going and keep fighting.”

Bowie was the fourth seed out of District 26-6A, but with Melsa and Miller, it will be a tough out for anyone.

“If we can put the ball in play we have a chance,” Degelia said. “They can keep us in it.”

East View’s sweep worth the extra innings

East View’s first playoff series win in program history came with no shortage of drama.

Ryan Pullen’s walkoff two-run double in the bottom of the 10th gave the Patriots a 2-1 win and series sweep over McCallum Friday at Manor New Tech to send them into the Class 5A area round and avenge being ousted by the Knights in the same round a year ago.

“It’s a big moment,” Pullen said. “I was just looking for something I can get a hold of, and I ended up getting that first pitch and took a good hack at it and caught the barrel.”

Understandably, the Patriots rushed the field to mob Pullen and celebrate the momentous occasion.

“That’s an awesome feeling,” he said. “Nothing beats it. It’s one of the best moments you could hope for and everybody dreams of it as a kid.”

Andres Uzcategui threw six scoreless innings with six strikeouts and McKennon Thorp tossed four innings in relief, also fanning six, for East View on the mound.

Sam Stevens did his end for McCallum with 10 strikeouts and seven scoreless innings.

The Knights took a 1-0 lead in the top of the 10th on Nathan Nagy’s RBI single, but a walk, single and hit batter set the scene for Pullen’s clutch hit in the bottom half of the frame.

“I”m ecstatic for our kids,” East View coach Matt Pullen said. “They set a goal since we got beat by them last year that they wanted to do something that we’ve never done. … I’m just kind of speechless to be honest with you. It was an awesome moment for our school and wouldn’t be possible without the great kids we have.”

The Patriots won the series opener 5-1 on Thursday behind Asher Kirchoff’s 10 strikeouts and six scoreless innings, and Matt Pullen credited the team’s pitching for pushing it through.

“It was outstanding all series,” he said. “And tonight, it gave us a chance to answer back in the 10th. … This is just an awesome experience, and the best part is we get to keep playing.”

More: UIL baseball playoffs: Johnson edges Round Rock in Class 6A bi-district series to force Game 3

Georgetown 10, Navarro 0 (6): Devin Peterson and Hagen Tate combined for a one-hit shutout with 11 strikeouts and Talan Ball went 2-for-3 with a triple, double and two RBIs to lead the Eagles to the sweep Friday in a Class 5A bi-district series. Ryley Leininger also drove in two runs for Georgetown.

Hendrickson 11, Crockett 0: The Hawks completed the sweep in a Class 5A bi-district series Friday at Lehman.

Cedar Ridge 2, Dripping Springs 0: The Raiders took Game 2 of a Class 6A bi-district series Friday at East View behind Nick Bonacci's two-hit shutout. Jake Shoemaker walked and eventually scored on a passed ball in the third and ripped an RBI single in the fourth for Cedar Ridge's runs. Bonacci finished with five strikeouts and two walks on 94 pitches.

Elgin 16, LASA 5: Austin Miller went 4-for-4 with a triple, double and two RBIs, Alex Gamez, Jalen Owens and Cason Nalle all drove in two runs and Bryce Barron had two doubles as the Wildcats took the Class 5A bi-district series opener Friday at Elgin High School. Jack Grames threw a complete game with five strikeouts, only allowing two earned runs.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: UIL baseball playoffs: Bowie, East View impress in bi-district sweeps