EMORY, Texas-The UIL pitch count came into play for Atlanta's baseball team, albeit not how it usually does.
The Rabbs were able to start the same pitcher in Games 2 and 3 against Van Alstyne on Saturday, winning the first game 2-1 but losing the rubber game 4-3 in the Region II-3A semifinals at Rains' Wildcat Field.
The Panthers advance to play Harmony, which swept Gunter, in next week's Region II-3A finals with a state tournament berth on the line.
Second Game
Van Alstyne 4, Atlanta 3
Atlanta's gamble on the mound was in line to pay off, but the Panthers put together a late rally against the Rabbit bullpen to claim the win.
Jake Thompson started the rubber game, as well, and pitched the first three innings-giving him 10 innings of work on the day. The right-hander threw 38 pitches (105 combined), gave up three hits and two runs, striking out two and walking one.
It was the bottom of the Atlanta lineup that sparked the rally to take the lead in the top of the sixth.
Kolby Mason grounded a single to right with one out and, after a fielder's choice for the second out, Kade Wood, the Rabbs' leadoff man, doubled to left-center to score Jackson Warren all the way from first. A flyout into the left field corner stranded Wood at second to end the inning.
Van Alstyne regained the lead in the bottom of the sixth.
Gallagher lined a single between two walks to load the bases with no outs. Another walk forced in the tying run, and David Terrill put down a suicide squeeze bunt to plate the go-ahead run.
Max Ebarb lined a one-out hit to right in the seventh for Atlanta, a fielder's choice came up for the second out, and a come-backer ended the Rabbs' season at 20-10-1.
The Panthers (27-5) struck first in the final game, taking a 2-0 lead in the second inning.
Samuel Tormos singled to center field to start the frame and stole second. A groundout moved him to third, and a walk put runners on the corners. A groundout to first plated Tormos, and Chandler David lined a two-out single to left to plate the other run.
Thompson got one of those back with his big fly over the right field wall in the top of the third.
Ebarb followed with a hit to right, and the Rabbits loaded the bases with a hit batsman and a walk. A strikeout, prior to the walk, and a diving catch by the Van Alstyne third baseman on a foul ball left the bases juiced.
Thompson ripped his third straight hit of the game to start the fifth, driving a 1-0 offering into the alley in right-center for a triple. He scored on Ebarb's sac fly to deep center to tie the game.
Ebarb pitched 2-plus innings of relief and absorbed the loss. He gave up one hit, fanned two and walked a pair. Wood pitched a hitless inning of relief, walking one.
Atlanta 001 011 0 - 3 8 0
Van Alstyne 020 002 x - 4 4 0
Jake Thompson, Max Ebarb (4), Kade Wood (6) and Jackson Warren. Rhett Gallagher, Zach Smith (7) and David Terrill. WP-Gallagher. LP-Ebarb. HR: ATL-Thompson, 3rd, none on.
First Game
Atlanta 2, Van Alstyne 1
Jake Thompson, who missed much of Game 1 with illness, threw a 4-hitter and needed just 67 pitches to go the distance in Game 2 to get the series even.
Thompson struck out four, walked two, retired nine in a row after allowing the only run he gave up, and sat down 13 of 15 to close out the game. The only baserunners the Panthers managed after the third was an error in the sixth and David Terrill's one-out single in the seventh.
Samuel Tormos suffered the loss, allowing just two hits in 6-plus innings of work for Van Alstyne. Tormos threw 74 pitches, fanned three, walked three and gave up two runs-both earned-on two hits.
The Rabbs responded to being down a run by taking the lead in the top half of the fourth inning.
Thompson worked a one-out walk, and courtesy runner Cade Rosser hustled to third on Max Ebarb's double past the bag at third. Rosser made a head-up baserunner play as Andy Samples' hard grounder up the middle made it past a diving pitcher to the second baseman for an RBI fielder's choice.
Kelby Smith delivered a two-out hit to center to plate Ebarb, staking Atlanta to a 2-1 advantage. Ebarb and Smith had the lone hits for Atlanta, which stranded four in the game.
Both teams had scoring opportunities in the first couple innings but couldn't capitalize on the leadoff man reaching in the second inning for each half of the frame.
Ebarb reached on an error for Atlanta to start the second inning but never advanced.
Zach Smith led off Van Alstyne's second inning with a chopper past third for a hit, and after he was bunted to second he got stranded to end the inning.
In the third, Tyler Wilson doubled down the left field line to start the inning for the Panthers. Rhett Gallagher bounced a single between the Rabbit first and second basemen into right to drive home Wilson and giving Van Alstyne a 1-0 lead.
A double play on a soft lineout to Atlanta second baseman Kade Wood, who threw back to first before Gallagher could get back to tag up, ended the inning.
Atlanta 000 200 0 - 2 2 1
Van Alstyne 001 000 0 - 1 4 1
Jake Thompson and Jackson Warren. Samuel Tormos, Zach Smith (7) and David Terrill. WP-Thompson. LP-Tormos.