WHITEHOUSE, Texas-After Maud at Douglass put on a pitching clinic Thursday, the teams put on an offensive showcase in Game 2 of the Region III-2A semifinal baseball series.
The Cardinals scored four runs in an inning twice and held off a last-inning rally by the Indians for an 11-10 victory Saturday at Whitehouse's Wildcat Field.
Game 3 was at 8:30 p.m. Saturday night. See Monday's edition for complete coverage of the rubber game.
Cade Townsend-the third of four relief pitchers for Maud-earned the pitching win with 1 2-3 innings of work. He threw 29 pitches, walked two-one intentionally-and allowed two hits.
Rayne Bailey recorded the final out to earn the save, and Payton Windham gave the Cardinals a chance to climb back into the game after falling behind by four runs early.
Windham worked 4-plus innings of 1-hit ball on the mound, struck out one, threw 87 pitches and gave up three earned runs. He labored late and issued five of his six walks over his final inning-plus of work.
The Indians built a 4-0 lead and chased Cardinal starter Brooks Minter before Maud ever came to bat. However, second reliever Windham stopped the bleeding and kept Douglass off the scoreboard for three innings.
Minter singled to start the bottom of the first for the Cardinals, and he scored on Cade Townsend's single to make it 4-1, starting the comeback.
In the second, Rayne Bailey delivered a 1-out single, and he was bunted to second. A throwing error allowed Bailey to score and Hunter Thomas advanced to second on the error.
Josh Luther grounded a 2-out single into left to plate Thomas, making it 4-3.
Gage Jones hustled for a stand-up double with down in the third for Maud, and a throwing error on a pickoff attempt advanced him to third. But a strikeout and groundout stranded the runner to end the frame.
In the fourth, Adam Roberts beat out an infield hit to third to leadoff the inning for the Cardinals. Roberts stole second prior to a walk to Bailey, and Windham put down a bunt single, which was overthrown at first to allow the tying run to score.
Thomas, the No. 8 batter in the lineup, lined a stand-up triple to the wall in left, staking Maud to a 6-4 advantage. A fielding error scored Thomas for a 7-4 Cardinal lead.
The Indians cut into their deficit in the top of the fifth. Jared Holland legged out an infield hit to start the inning, and after the bases were loaded on walks, a wild pitch and then a balk brought home a pair of runs to make it 7-6.
Windham and the Cardinals ended the inning by stranding Douglass runners on the corners.
A pair of walks for the Indians to start the sixth were followed by a sac bunt to move the pair into scoring position. A come-backer resulted in the second out, scoring the tying run, but the runner at third was tagged out to end the inning.
In the bottom of the sixth, Minter put down a 1-out, bunt single, and Townsend beat out an infield hit, after a throwing error, to load the bases. Cleanup hitter Cameron Mills lined a 3-run, stand-up double over the left fielder's head to give Maud a 10-7 lead.
Roberts lined a hit to center, and Windham added a 2-out, RBI single to left during the rally.
Brandon Moorman started the Indians' seventh with a line drive to left-center, and after a pair of two-out walks loaded the bases, Logan Lee lined an RBI single to left. Chad Watson welcomed reliever Bailey with a 2-run bouncer up the middle to make it 11-10, but a groundout to third ended the game, forcing a third game.
Roberts, Windham and Minter were each 2 for 3 in the win, Townsend was 2 for 4, Mills smacked his 3-run double, Thomas added his 2-run triple and Jones contributed a double.
Watson was 2 for 4 for the Indians.
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Douglass=400=021=3=-=10=6=5
Maud=120=404=x=-=11=12=4
Bryce Berthot, Avery Arnold (4) and Chad Watson. Brooks Minter, Brian Blackburn (1), Payton Windham (2), Cade Townsend (6), Rayne Bailey (7) and Windham, Minter (2). WP-Townsend. LP-Arnold.