Jesuit Dallas forced a decisive game three in the University Interscholastic League (UIL) Region 2-6A Area Round with a 6-2 win over Rockwall, but saw its season end as the Yellow Jackets scored a 2-1, walk-off win on the Rangers on Saturday at McKinney North H.S. The Rangers close the year with a 26-12 record after advancing to the area round for the 10th consecutive year.
On Friday night, Jesuit jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning on a two-run home run by Jalon Mack. Juniors Braxton Boyle and Tanner Jones each finished the game 2-for-3 from the plate while senior Caden Carlson added a two-run home run in the bottom of the fourth inning. In his final start at Jesuit, senior Jack Lynch earned his seventh win of the season with a strong outing, firing 5.1 innings of four-hit, two-run baseball while striking out eight.
Mack launched a two-out, two-run home run after Boyle singled up the middle to lead off the inning. Lynch settled in after Rockwall secured a one-out single in the first, retiring the next seven consecutive batters to keep Jesuit's lead intact. Rockwall would answer with two runs in the top of the third before Jesuit retook the lead in the bottom of the inning. Boyle reached on a leadoff single and scored on a single through the left side by Reuben.
The Rangers would add two more runs in the bottom of the fourth after senior catcher Marco Marrero was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. With one out in the inning, Carlson launched a line drive to left center field, recording his second home run of the season to increase the lead to three heading into the fifth. After Lynch was lifted due to the UIL pitch count limit, senior Ben Shepherd entered and threw 1.2 innings of no-hit work, striking out three to force game three.
Jesuit held a 1-0 lead in the third inning off of a home run by Lynch, but Rockwall tied the game in the sixth before securing the walk-off in the seventh. Lynch would secure two hits in the third game as Boyle and Mack added the Rangers' other two hits. Sophomore Gavin Perryman threw 6.1 innings and struck out six batters while allowing two runs on eight hits.
The two teams battled to a scoreless tie over the first two inning before Lynch launched a solo blast to right center field to give the Rangers a 1-0 lead. Perryman continued to excel, keeping the Yellow Jackets out of scoring position during the third, fourth and fifth inning. Rockwall would tie the game in the bottom of the sixth on a squeeze bunt before ending the game on a walk, sacrifice bunt and game-ending single in the seventh.
