Vista Ridge knocks off Round Rock in extra innings for District 25-6A title

ROUND ROCK — Andre Wood’s performance Tuesday was district championship-worthy.

Wood was brilliant for 6 2/3 innings on the mound and then belted an RBI double in the top of the eighth that gave Vista Ridge a 2-1 over Round Rock in what was essentially the District 25-6A championship game at Round Rock High School.

“It’s like sitting on top of the world, man,” Wood said of providing the game-winning hit. “It’s a really cool feeling that you don’t get that often. To be able to do that for your team and give us our first district title in a very long time … I love to be able to see my team win and see my team happy.”

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Both teams finished with 11-3 district records but the Rangers swept the season series and will have the No. 1 seed in the playoffs.

With both Wood and Round Rock starter Sam DeLong being almost untouchable, the game unsurprisingly went to extra innings.

Isaac Garcia singled and Grant Anderson walked to start the eighth for Vista Ridge, then Wood followed by blistering the ball down the right-field line to score Garcia.

“I was sitting at two strikes and expecting another fastball,” Wood said. “I was just ready for it, and then they paid.”

Though he’s new to the school this year after transferring from Georgetown Gateway Prep, Wood is part of a senior class that Vista Ridge coach Matt Garver noted has grinded and earned everything it’s accomplished.

“This team has fought through a lot,” Garver said. “These seniors, they’ve finished fourth, third, second, and now this year we got (a district title). It’s a special group of kids on this team.”

Both starters stellar

Wood scattered five hits in his time on the mound and had three strikeouts. The run he yielded was unearned, and Garver said he has his best stuff when it matters most.

“He lives for the moment at the plate and on the mound,” he said. “The kid is clutch whenever we need it. He competed on the mound and had his stuff all night.”

DeLong was equally impressive, also going 6 2/3 innings, finishing with five strikeouts and only allowing Alex Reyna’s RBI single in the second.

“This was a game between two really good baseball teams,” Garver said. “Hats off to Round Rock because they played their butts off. It was one of those games where a couple of balls went here or there, and that was it.”

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Sanders closes it out

With no game Friday, Vista Ridge (20-9-1) brought in its other starting pitcher, Ethan Sanders, in relief of Wood.Few teams across the state can bring in someone like Sanders, who is a Rice pledge, out of the bullpen, and it paid off.

He retired all four Dragons he faced with relative ease.

“I knew there was a chance I would come in, and I really just had the confidence in my teammates backing me up on defense,” Sanders said. “This is a great group of guys, and I wouldn’t trade any of them for anybody.”

Playoffs

Both teams will have to wait until Saturday to find out their bidistrict playoff opponent.

District 26-6A has nine teams and most won't play their final game until the weekend.

But whomever they play, it's not going to be easy.

Round Rock (21-10) will face either Bowie or Johnson, while Vista Ridge gets either Bowie or Westlake.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Vista Ridge tops Round Rock in extra innings for District 25-6A title