Published: May 16, 2008 11:19 pm            

Bulldogs oust Cardinals, 5-1

NEDERLAND —

It could easily be said the Jasper Bulldogs have now beaten the Bridge City Cardinals twice this week.

First came the coin flip to force a one-game playoff and then came Friday's 5-1 victory in Nederland in the Class 3A Region III regional quarterfinals.

Jasper (26-6) wanted no part of Bridge City's (26-7) pitching depth and settled to a winner take all and it was the right call as Justin Parsons outlasted Matt Hicks to send the defending state champions into the regional semi-finals against either Hutto or Carthage.

Parsons hurled all seven innings for the Bulldogs giving up just one run on four hits to go with 10 strike outs and three walks. Parsons threw 102 pitches for the victory.

Sophomore Hicks did his part on the mound giving up just six hits with six strike outs and one walk.

It was the lack of hitting which spelled doom to the Cardinals' season.

Neither pitcher had given up a hit until the top of the fourth when Bridge City's Joe Robertson led off with an infield single.

Hicks followed it up with the first of his two doubles to push Robertson to third.

After an intentional walk to Casey Jackson, Parsons got Blake Hubbard to strike out and then went to work on Jaden Dillon.

Dillon did his job and hit a fly to right field to give Robertson plenty of time to score making it 1-0.

It would be the only inning Bridge City would string together more than one hit in a single inning.

Sophomore Luke Rhodes had a single in the fifth and Hicks doubled again in the sixth yet was stranded on second.

Bridge City loaded the bases in the sixth with two outs yet Parsons dug deep and found a way to get out of the threat.

While the Cardinals were struggling to find offense, the Bulldogs scored two runs in the bottom of the fourth to take the lead for good.

Taylor Hart struck for an infield single and after a ground out, Malcolm Bronson stepped up to the plate.

Bronson hit his second homer of the season off Hicks into right field to give Jasper a 2-1 advantage.

Jasper was not done as they scored three more times in the bottom of the fifth.

Aaron Stephenson and Parker Phillips hit back-to-back singles to right with one out and Cord Yates followed with a two-run single to right field.

Hart then reached on a fielder's choice and moved all the way to third on a Bridge City error.

Hart would make it 5-1 when Bronson was able to reach on what the press box gave an error.

Bronson slapped a hard hit ball to second base and the ball took a huge bounce over Bridge City's Eric Matthews glove giving Hart time to score.

Hicks struck out Parsons to end the threat.

Even with a 5-1 lead Jasper Coach Shawn Mixon never stopped trying to score more runs in the bottom of the sixth.

With Parker on third and Phillips up to bat with one down, Phillips squared to bunt for a squeeze play.

Hicks fielded the ball nicely in front of Jackson and flipped to the senior catcher for a nice second out.

Hicks then got Yates to ground into a force out.

Parsons would not allow a rally by getting the Cardinals out in order in the top of the seventh.

The loss ends three outstanding careers for the Cardinals as Jackson, Dillon and Jason Clark will all graduate.

Jackson led the Cardinals in numerous offensive categories as a senior and Dillon and Clark each played outstanding the outfield for Bridge City while also having a combined 13-1 mark on the mound.

Dillon and Clark won Games 2 and 3 last weekend against Needville to set up the series against Jasper.

This is the second year in a row the Bulldogs have eliminated the Cardinals, last year doing it in a thrilling three-game set at Lamar University.

        

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