Jesuit Dallas secured a 5-4 win on Friday in a win-or-go-home situation to force a decisive game three against Oak Ridge on Saturday in Corsicana, Texas. The Rangers dropped game one to the War Eagles, 3-1 on Thursday, responding with a phenomenal effort on the road Friday to force the 2 p.m. game three first pitch on Saturday.
 
Senior Maccoy Lopez sparked the Rangers, going 2-for-4 with a run driven in as Jesuit Dallas scored five runs on four hits and six walks. Senior Luke Przybylski and junior Jalon Mack drove in runs for the Rangers while senior Paul Gramling and junior Garrett Reuben picked up hits and scored runs. Junior Jack Lynch hurled four innings of work, earning his ninth win of the season, while junior Ben Shepherd scored his second save of the year with three innings of one-run, two-hit work, striking out two batters.
 
On Thursday, freshman Gavin Perryman provided the spark for Jesuit Dallas, launching a third-inning home run to tie the contest at 1-1. Senior Tyler Murrah threw a complete seven innings, striking out eight while only allowing one earned run. Oak Ridge plated a pair of runs in the fifth inning to score the game one win, anchored behind a 10-strikeout performance by junior pitcher Logan Letney, who also went 2-for-3 with a double and RBI.
 
How it Happened – Game Two

• After a scoreless first inning, both teams reached the scoreboard in the second. Reuben laced a single down the left field line to reach first base, stealing second to reach scoring position. Gramling bunted to move Reuben over to third, but an errant throw by the Oak Ridge catcher allowed the junior the chance to score and score Jesuit's first run. A bases-loaded walk to Pryzbylski plated senior Bijan Kamalipour to increase the lead to two runs before a sacrifice fly to center scored Gramling to spot Jesuit a 3-0 lead.
   
• Oak Ridge tied up the contest at 3-3 after forcing a pair of one-out runs before tying the contest with two outs in the inning. Both teams were scoreless over the following two innings before the Rangers took the lead for good in the fifth inning.
   
• A walk to junior Caden Carlson jumpstarted the inning for the Rangers, as a walk to Mack moved junior pinch runner Nick Hafertepe to second base. Freshman Gavin Perryman recorded a sacrifice bunt to move both runners into scoring position before Lopez gave the Rangers the lead. The senior laced an 0-1 pitch through the left side to score Hafertepe and used a rundown situation to provide Mack the window to score the Rangers' fifth run and spot the Blue and Gold a two-run lead.
   
• Shepherd entered the bout in the bottom of the fifth inning, retiring the first two batters he faced. After allowing a runner into scoring position, the junior forced an inning-ending popup to keep the two-run lead intact. The War Eagles placed another runner into scoring position with two outs in the sixth, but a backdoor curveball by Shepherd ended the threat once again.
   
• After the Rangers were held scoreless in the top of the seventh, Shepherd returned to the mound to clinch the game two victory. A leadoff walk and single to right put runners on the corners with no outs in the inning, and Oak Ridge cut the lead to one run with a fielder's choice to shortstop. However, Shepherd clinched the game two victory by retiring the final two batters, capping the win with another infield pop fly.

 
How it Happened – Game One

• Oak Ridge drew first blood with a run in the top of the second. A leadoff single predicated two stolen bases, spotting the War Eagles a runner at third with one out in the inning. A double to center by Erik Coomer scored the first run for Oak Ridge, spotting the visitors an early, 1-0 lead.
   
• Letney held the Rangers in check in the early portion of the contest, retiring the first eight batters in order, including seven strikeouts. Perryman ended the streak in resounding fashion, taking an 0-1 pitch deep to left center for his first varsity home run.
   
• In the top of the fifth, the War Eagles were able to secure two runs on two hits and a Jesuit Dallas error to secure a 3-1 lead heading into the bottom of the fifth. Jesuit Dallas threatened in the bottom of the frame after Lynch cracked a one-out double to right center that landed at the warning track, but the Rangers were unable to cut into the Oak Ridge lead. Jesuit Dallas was retired in order during the sixth and seventh innings as Oak Ridge was able to score the game one victory.

 
Up Next
 
Jesuit Dallas and Oak Ridge will square off in a winner-take-all game three, scheduled for 2 p.m. from Corsicana H.S.