Deer Park punches ticket to regional final
The Deer Park softball team secured a return to the state tournament with a big win Friday night at the University of Houston.
Their baseball team took care of business Saturday.
Back at the same campus both team’s seniors walked the turf in cap and gown Thursday, the Deer graduated to the regional finals with a 5-2 victory over Ridge Point in Game 3 of the Class 6A Region III semifinals.
“It’s pretty cool,” Deer Park coach Chris Rupp said. “What are the chances of both teams going this far in the playoffs, especially as hard as it is to compete … because you’re playing good teams all the way through, and it doesn’t do anything but get tougher.”
The Deer (31-7-1) know that all too well.
They were nationally ranked and 35-0 after the opener of last year’s regional final with Langham Creek. Then they suffered their only losses all year back-to-back in a disappointing end to the season.
Now they’re back in Round 5 — with a more unexpected second chance.
“You can’t go to state if you don’t get there, so it’s great,” Rupp said. “Another clutch performance by Clay (Aguilar), to go with the one we had from Payton (Sherlin) Thursday night, in a must-win situation.” Aguilar seals the deal
Aguilar picked up the win on the same mound he’ll throw from next year.
The UH signee took a no-hitter into the fifth inning and allowed only two runs on five hits in a complete game.
He went the distance on 87 pitches with four strikeouts and two walks.
“It’s awesome,” Aguilar said. “It’s, honestly, a big confidence booster for next year, so when I pitch I know I can perform well here.
“It’s a big moment and a cool experience.”
Aguilar also put the Deer on the board first in the first inning.
His single — the team’s fourth consecutive to start the game — plated Reece Moon, and Josiah Ortiz added a run-scoring sacrifice fly for a 2-0 lead.
“We needed to come out and get some momentum back in our favor early,” Rupp said. “Because they got the momentum in Game 2 … (so) that was huge for us to get two runs early and show them, ‘Hey, we’re here to play.’
“That might have been the key to the whole thing.”
The Deer added three more in the sixth inning for a 5-0 lead after a twoout rally that featured a run-scoring single by No. 9 hitter Austin Mitchell and Chase Keng’s two-run knock, supplying valuable insurance.
“(Mitchell’s) a one-, twoor nine-hole guy,” Rupp said. “He’s not a bad hitter. He’s in that nine-hole because he’s that kind of guy, but we’ve been having success with Moon and (Blaine) Holden up there, so we like him (down).”
The Panthers (23-16) cut the deficit to 5-2 in the bottom of the sixth.
Michael Cooper plated Parker Wayne with a double into the left-field corner, and Jared Mack supplied a two-out, pinchhit single that stayed in the infield, allowing Cooper to come home from third base. Travis awaits
But Aguilar escaped without further damage, then closed it out in the seventh.
“(Hits) were tough to come by,” Ridge Point coach Clinton Welch said. “You’ve got a good pitcher on the mound … good coaches and a good program.
“We knew it was going to be tough.”
Matthew Scott took the loss, giving up two runs on four hits in four innings.
Next up for Deer Park is Travis, which rolled through North Shore in a 7-2, 15-3 sweep of its regional semifinal.
“We’re going to give it all we’ve got,” Aguilar said. “We’re not going to lay down.”