Brazoswood crushes Pearland to sweep series

May 24, 2010

PEARLAND — There were two scenarios going on at the same time when Pearland faced Brazoswood in the Class 5A Region III semifinals.

The first was head coach Ben Pardo coaching his final year before giving up his coaching duties to become the full-time athletic director for Pearland ISD. Named earlier in the year to replace the late Mike Watson - Pardo wanted to finish out the 2010 baseball season with this current crop of seniors.

The second scenario was Brazoswood wanting to avenge the two losses they suffered at the hands of the 2009 Oilers who ousted the Buccaneers 1-0 and 11-8 last year to capture the 5A Region III crown and to advance to the 5A state baseball tournament.

For Pardo, it certainly wasn't the ending he had envisioned to conclude a very successful 20-year coaching career. The Oilers wanted to give their skipper a better ending, but Brazoswood was hot coming into the series and certainly had a very talented team.

Brazoswood took out the Oilers 14-0 in the first of their best-of-three series as Pardo watched his diamondmen commit nine errors with seven coming in the second inning that saw the Buccaneers score 12 runs. The Bucs scored a pair in the opening frame to post the early 14-0 advantage and the coasted the remaining three innings to run-rule the Oilers in five innings.

Pearland changed its rotation for the series, starting left-handed junior Ryan Kay, who had not pitched in any of the Oilers’ first six post-season games. After Brazoswood plated seven runs, sophomore Chris Clark, who had thrown one inning in the post-season, took the mound.

Brazoswood 10 -  Pearland 2

Playing at home in front of a packed-out crowd in the second game of the best-of-three series didn't help Pearland against Brazoswood.

The Bucs scored seven runs in the first three innings en route to cruising to a 10-2 victory over the Oilers. With the win, Brazoswood sweeps the Class 5A Region III region-quarterfinal series and will meet Houston Memorial this week in the region semifinals.

Pearland started their ace Matt Rhodes while Brazoswood put their ace on the mound in Tyler Green.

Rhodes, who earned All-State honors last season, beat the Bucs 1-0 in the first game of the Region III finals in 2009.

The Oilers chased Green off the mound in the second game and won 11-8 to capture the Region III championship and advanced to the state baseball tournament.

Brazoswood avenged their loss last year as the Bucs swept the Oilers and Green got his 10-2 victory.    

Although Thursday’s 14-0 blowout came against some inexperienced Pearland hurlers, Friday’s victory was versus one of the Oilers’ best pitchers.

“I was really proud with how the kids hit the ball tonight,” Brazoswood head coach Bobby Williams said. “Rhodes is the one who shut us out last year and the kids wanted him. They’ve been preparing for him and did what it took the get the win.”

The Bucs scored seven runs in the first three innings and then added a run in the sixth and two in the seventh to end the tally.

Brazoswood finished with 11 hits, while Pearland ended with five.

The Oilers end their season with a 29-7 mark and will look forward to facing Brazoswood again next season as the two teams have been reunited in District 24-5A after the UIL realignment. The battle will continue at least for two more years until the next realignment in 2012.

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