TEXARKANA, Texas - Pleasant Grove is headed to Austin.
The Hawks edged Liberty-Eylau, 4-3, in Game 2 of a Region II-4A final baseball series at Texas High's Tiger Field on Thursday.
Pleasant Grove won Game 1, 7-5, on Wednesday.
"It's amazing for those young men, who fought their tails off all year, to advance after dealing with the cancelled season last year," Hawks head coach Riley Fincher said. "They fought for each other against an outstanding Liberty-Eylau team. We had five battles against them this year.
"The kids fought their tails off after losing our first playoff game this year. I could not be more elated for all 19 of them. We will enjoy this for a day or two, and then we are going to get back to work. We are going to Austin to represent our school, community and city."
Pleasant Grove reliever Coe Blain earned the win, threw six innings, gave up two runs on three hits, struck out two, hit a batter and walked two.
Leopards' starter Nate Moore absorbed the loss, tossed six innings, gave up four runs on five hits, struck out five, hit a batter and walked one.
"Coe came in and pitched his tail off," Fincher said. "We played clean, defensively, behind him. Nate (Moore) is one of the best competitors that I have ever had the privilege to coach against and see play. Our kids fought their tails off during every single pitch. I could not be more proud of the fight that our young men showed."
Brock Bearden smacked a go-ahead, 2-run double to left field to give the Hawks (33-8) a 4-3 lead in the sixth. Brenton Clark and JM Long, who each singled, came around to score.
"I am proud of our guys, and they got Liberty-Eylau baseball back on the map," Liberty-Eylau head coach Zach Fowler said. "It was a heckuva ride for us and our community."
Tucker Anderson crushed a 2-run homer over the left-center field wall to tie the game at 2-all for Pleasant Grove in the second. Anderson's round tripper scored Alex Murphy, who singled to right.
Moore slapped an RBI single to give Liberty-Eylau a 3-2 lead in the fourth. Zach Brush, who was hit by a pitch, scored on Moore's hit.
Brooks led off the Leopards' first with a double to right field, and Nate Moore followed with a bunt single. Braylon Blair laid down a sacrifice bunt RBI to give L-E (29-12-2) a 1-0 lead. Pleasant Grove got out of the frame with a double play.
Hunter Burks had a bunt single with a runner on in the second for Liberty-Eylau. Two batters later, Ron Garza was hit by a pitch to juice the bases, and Brooks walked to pad the Leopards' lead, 2-0.
Pleasant Grove is the Region II champion and will play in the Class 4A state tournament on June 9-10 at UFCU Disch-Falk Field in Austin.