PARIS, Texas -- Celina senior right-hander Cole Marthiljohni scattered five hits and pitched a complete game, helping the Bobcats take the lead in the Region II-4A semifinal series against Liberty-Eylau with a 4-1 win Thursday at Paris Chisum High School.
Game 2 is at 7 p.m. today, back at Mustang Field. If L-E ties the series, a third game is scheduled for 3 Saturday.
Marthiljohni needed 85 innings to go the distance, struck out seven, walked none and hit one.
Gage Bellatti absorbed the loss for the Leopards (21-12-1).
The Bobcats (29-3-1) grabbed the early lead on RBI singles by Noah Bentley and Ty Marthiljohni following a 1-out error. A strikeout and flyout ended the inning, stranding a runner at third.
Bellatti and the Leopards retired the side in order in the second and third, but a bunt single to lead off the fourth resulted in a 2-base error, putting a Bobcat on third with no outs.
A wild pitch on a swinging strikeout put two on, and a walk loaded the bases. Bellatti fanned the next batter, a sac fly to right made it 3-0, and RJ Ruais' RBI single brought in another run. However, right fielder Ron Garza threw a frozen rope to shortstop Cal Jones, who threw out the Celina baserunner attempting to go from first to third to end the inning.
Bellatti threw 100 pitches in 4 2-3 innings of work. He gave up five hits and four runs -- three earned -- while striking out seven and walking three. Garza pitched two innings of 1-hit relief.
Jones lined a leadoff hit to center in the sixth inning and advanced on a groundout to second for the second out. Bellatti's hard-hit single was fielded by the Celina second baseman in shallow right, but the throw was late and Jones raced all the way around from second to score.
Bellatti singled to lead off the Leopards' second inning, but a flyout and pair of fielder's choice ground balls thwarted the chance.
Prior to the sixth inning, Liberty-Eylau's best opportunity against Cole Marthiljohni came in the fifth. Xander Worthey lined a 1-out hit into the right-center alley, and with two down, courtesy runner Xander Hall went from first to third when Garza drilled a single to right. A strikeout left both stranded.