Adams tosses 4-hitter as Oilers win pitching duel

Lancaster shines on mound for Mustangs but yields run in 5th

Pitching against a Kingwood team that had scored 36 runs its last two games, Pearland starter Matt Adams certainly wanted to minimize the damage Thursday night at the University of Houston’s Schroeder Park.

That objective was achieved to the fullest as the Adams tossed a four-hitter in a 1-0 Oilers victory in the first game of a best-ofthree Class 6A Region III baseball series. Game two in the area-round matchup is set for 7 p.m. Friday at UH.

“I just came in trying to throw strikes, and I knew that if I got all three of my pitches over I would do well,” Adams said. “That’s what happened. There were a lot of innings that were up-and-down, but you have to stay even keel.

“If you do that, you have a great chance to win. I love the atmosphere and I love pressure. When there are people on base, I feel like I have to bear down, and that’s when I’m at my best.”

Double plays kill threats

Kingwood put runners on base in each of the first six innings before Adams finally retired the Mustangs in order in their final at-bat.

The game’s lone run was scored in the fifth inning.

Adams drilled a one-out single to right and, one out later, Sam Velasquez, did the same to put runners at the corners. Mason Lytle then slapped the ball through the left side of the infield, scoring pinch-runner Christian Terranova from third.

That run spoiled an otherwise impressive pitching performance from Kingwood senior lefthander Cody Lancaster, who worked six innings.

“We had a lot of opportunities, but you tip your lid to their guy,” Kingwood coach Kelly Mead said. “Pearland got one more big hit than we did.

“Other than that, it was a pretty close, pretty clean ballgame. It was a good, solid baseball game and that’s what you expect in the playoffs. We can’t think about this too long because we have a ballgame to play tomorrow. We have to be able to come back and respond.”

Kingwood had great opportunities to score in the second and third innings, but in each Pearland turned double plays to end the threats.

In the second inning, the Mustangs’ Luke Johnson led off with a single, but Grant Evans popped up a bunt into a twinkilling.

In the third, Ben Cegelski punched a check-swing double down the right-field line and Tre Richardson followed with a walk, but Carter Amarantos lined into a double play.

‘Efficient pitching’

Kingwood also had a chance to score in the fourth after Austin Flematti doubled to left and went to third on a passed ball. But Adams retired the next two batters to escape that jam.

The Mustangs also put runners on second and third in the sixth inning, but Adams was up to the challenge again, striking out the next two batters.

“Efficient pitching,” Pearland coach Anthony Scalise said. “If we can pitch like that, I feel we can beat anybody, and I truly mean that. We tell our kids that all the time.

“Both pitchers were very efficient. I thought we hit balls crazy-hard right at them. We hitand-run in the fifth, and it obviously worked. It couldn’t have played out better with our leadoff hitter (Lytle) coming to the plate. We came into the game as an underdog, and I love that role. Hopefully, we sneak out another win tomorrow.”