Facing elimination, superb pitching performances by senior Kyle Muller and junior Jacob Palisch and clutch hitting from a slew of Rangers sent Jesuit Dallas to the University Interscholastic League (UIL) Regional Quarterfinal round with two wins over Belton on Saturday afternoon at Tiger Field.  Jesuit picked up a 9-1 win in the first contest of the game before winning the series with a 2-0 shutout in the nightcap.

Both Muller and Palisch earned their eighth win of the season to push the Rangers (27-6-2) to the third round for the third consecutive season.  Senior Jared Bond provided the early jolt to the Jesuit offense, launching his sixth home run of the season and second of the playoffs in the second inning of game two, finishing the contest with four RBI, additionally driving in the opening run of the second game.  Junior Mark Ready doubled down the right field line in the third inning of game three to end the Rangers scoring, while senior Pete Hamrick cracked a two-run double to the same part of the ballpark in game one.

Seniors Matt Horvath and Jared Kengott joined Muller in the RBI column of game one, while junior JT Mix went 2-for-5 in the leadoff spot.  Muller logged his second consecutive 15-strikeout outing, only allowing one unearned run on four hits and one walk, while Palisch earned his fourth consecutive shutout victory, matching a season-high with nine strikeouts.

After lightning in the Belton area pushed back the original, 1 p.m. start time, Bond homered on a full count to lead off the second inning, opening a lead that was increased when Hamrick's double scored senior Connor Lynch and pinch runner Maccoy Lopez in the third.  Muller struck out eight of the first 12 batters faced in the contest, working out of a jam in the third when Belton placed a runner in scoring position with no outs. 

After a scoreless fourth, Mix led off the fifth with a bunt single, later scoring on a double to left center by Muller.  Bond scored Lopez again on a single to left before Kengott scored Hamrick on a suicide squeeze play, increasing the lead to six. Bond would strike again in the seventh, scoring Hamrick and classmate Chris Campagna with a single to left before Horvath plated Bond with a RBI single.  After allowing the leadoff runner board in the seventh, Muller forced a double play and struck out the final batter to force a decisive game three.

In the nightcap, Palisch worked out of a bases loaded jam in the top of the first before senior Bryce Bonner singled to center to lead off the Jesuit second Junior pinch runner Alex Lengyel later scored on a single to right by Bond to once again give the Rangers an early, second-inning lead.  Ready's double scored Hamrick for the Rangers' second run, but Belton looked poised to cut into the Ranger lead in the fourth. 

A leadoff single and wild pitch put a runner in scoring position with no outs, but Palisch again worked his way out of the inning, forcing an inning-ending double play with runners at the corners and one out to keep the shutout intact.  Belton (21-12) would threaten again in the sixth after a one-out double, but Palisch again retired the Tigers with runners at the corners. 

Down to their final three outs, the Tigers led off the seventh with a single to right, but Palisch retired the next three batters, catching a popup for the first out, striking out the second before snagging a line drive for the final out of the ballgame, sending the Rangers spilling out of the dugout to celebrate the series-clinching win.

Jesuit will next face the Highland Park Scots in a rematch of last year's UIL Regional Quarterfinal round.  The Rangers would win the series, dubbed the "Tollway Series" due to the close proximity of the two programs, en route to the first UIL 6A Baseball State Championship Semifinal appearance in program history.