Dawgs drum Horns; next stop Bridge City
By GEORGIA PURDY Newsboy Correspondent

Newsboy photo/Georgia Purdy JASPER'S TAYLOR HART fans starting pitcher Justin Parsons before game one of the playoff series with Bellville.

If there was any doubt as to the strength of baseball teams in District 21-3A, it was dispelled this past weekend as the Jasper Bulldogs swept the Class 3A area play-off series with Bellville while the Bridge City Cardinals defeated Needville in three games, and the Hardin-Jefferson Hawks took out Sweeny in two. That puts all three teams in the Region III quarterfinals this weekend.

The 'Dogs will face the Cardinals; the Hawks go after Giddings. Details as to place and time had not been determined by press time.

By playing Bridge City, Jasper will face the team that defeated them twice in two district games this year and the team they eliminated in the regional finals last year on the way to the state championship.

"We played pretty well this weekend, but we made too many mental mistakes," Coach Shawn Mixon said. "We played good defense in both games. We hit well in both and threw some good pitches, but we have to clean up the mental mistakes before the next round."

JASPER ASSISTANT COACH STEVE SMITH congratulates Ty Parker at first base after Parker doubled and a courtesy runner took his place on second. Pictured left, catcher Parker congratulates Tyler Ernest as he crosses home plate in game one. Jasper swept Bellville in the two-game series to advance to play Bridge City in the next round of the playoffs.

The Bulldogs defeated the Bellville Brahamas in two games, 8-5 and 13-2 at College Park High School in The Woodlands Thursday and Friday,May 8 and 9.

Left-hander Justin Parsons went the distance on the mound in game one, with seven strike-outs and five walks.

Jasper got their first two runs in the bottom of the third inning when Taylor Hart tripled, Tyler Ernest doubled and Malcolm Bronson singled in both runs.

In the top of the fourth inning, Bellville went up 5- 2, scoring five runs on on three hits, three walks and a Bulldog error.

In the bottom of the inning, designated hitter Aaron Stephenson walked, Parker Phillips was hit by a pitch and Cord Yates contributed a sacrifice bunt, advancing the runners. Hart singled in Stephenson and Ernest was safe on a fielder's choice. Bradley was safe on an error. Parsons and Ty Parker both singled, giving the 'Dogs a 7-2 lead.

Newsboy photos/Georgia Purdy

Ernest picked up Jasper's final run in the sixth inning when he led off with a walk, made his way around the bases on errors and scored on a pass ball. Cord Yates threw six innings in the final game with four strike-outs and a single walk. Stephenson came in to close in the seventh.

Bellville scored the first run in the bottom of the second inning, but the Bulldogs came back in the fourth and put five runs on the board. Lead-off batter Justin Parsons singled, Bradley walked and Parker was hit by a pitch. With the bases loaded, Stephenson stepped to the plate and hit a two- RBI double. Yates were both were safe on fielding errors and Jasper got two additional runs.

Ty Parker added a run in the fifth. Three runs scored in the sixth. Lead-off batter Sam Alvis was safe on an error; Hart hit and Ernest drove in Alvis. Bronson singled and was safe on a fielder's choice. Parsons then drove in Hart and Bronson.

Newsboy photos/Georgia Purdy JASPER TRIED A squeeze play in game one, but courtesy runner Xavier Mays is tagged out by the Bellville pitcher between third and home plate. Pictured below, right fielder Malcolm Bronson isn't letting this deep-hit foul ball go. He snagged it on the run for the out.

The 'Dogs picked up an additional four runs in the top of the seventh. Parker doubled, Phillips singled, Yates and Hart walked, Ernest hit a sacrifice fly. Bellville picked up one run in the bottom of the inning.

Bronson and Parker had three hits each; Ernest, two; and Hart, Stephenson, Phillips had one each. Jasper's 13 total runs came on 12 hits and one error. Bellville scored two runs on eight hits and had three errors.

The upcoming game with Bridge City should be a great match-up pitting the defending State Champion Bulldogs against the team that came closest to knocking them out of the running last year. The winner will advance to the regional semifinals against the winner of the Carthage/Hutto game.