Patience paid off for the Lake Creek baseball team in the decisive game of their regional semifinal series against Friendswood.
The Lions drew 10 free passes and steadily built a lead before four hits broke the game open in a three-run sixth, leading to a 9-5 victory in Game 3 on Friday at Cypress Falls High School.
Lake Creek had to wait a little longer to celebrate than anticipated, as Friendswood sent 10 batters to the plate trailing 9-1 in the seventh. But Parker Smith’s full-count fastball finally ended the series with the bases loaded.
“Parker, he’s been there, done that before,” Lake Creek coach Jeremy Schramm said. “He’s done a great job for us, everything he’s done. He’s the guy we would want in that situation any day.”
Lake Creek (30-10) sets up a Region III-5A championship series rematch with Magnolia West. The Mustangs, who swept Santa Fe in their semifinal series, won last year’s battle of District 21-6A rivals to advance to the state tournament.
“We’re going to enjoy this and we’ll get to work on Magnolia West tomorrow,” Schramm said.
The Lions rebounded from a 5-4 loss to Friendswood (30-7) in Game 1, holding on for a 6-4 win in Game 2. Lake Creek led by at least four runs in every game.
“Last week we started the same way,” Lake Creek right fielder Jackson Marshall said. “It shows we can bounce back. We don’t give up. We’re a good team together.”
Marshall drove in three runs with a sacrifice fly and two singles, leading a productive night from the back half of the lineup.
While cleanup hitter Davis Lee reached base three times, No. 9 hitter Carson Lange reached base in all four appearances, including two singles.
Leighton Scott added two hits and a walk, while Reed Newkirk reached base three times as well. The Lions led 2-0 before their first hit, while Wyatt Davis drove in two runs despite a 0-for-5 night.
“I feel like our situational hitting was really good this series,” Schramm said. “We were moving guys over, we hit behind runners. We took the ground ball RBI when we needed it. We just played good baseball. It wasn’t all about home runs and all of that. It was about moving guys over and executing.”
The Lions led 6-1 in the fifth, sparked by Smith’s leadoff double. Scott, Marshall and Lange singled in runs in the sixth.
Right-hander Zack Alarid gave the Lions four strong innings on the mound, allowing one run on three hits while walking four and striking out two.
“Zack did a great job of pitching,” Schramm said. “He spotted his fastball, threw multiple pitches for a strike and kept them off balance. He did an outstanding job, got us through the fourth inning and allowed us to turn the ball over to Parker.”
Alarid limited damage in the second, pitching out of a bases-loaded jam, then stranded two more in the fourth with the help of a spectacular diving catch by center fielder Sam Lee.
“I was trying to work in some two seams in, I had some good run,” Alarid said. “Curveball was working, changeup was working. But I couldn’t do that without the guys behind me. The fielders back there, getting me help, it was great.”
Friendswood did not go quietly, finally getting to Smith in the seventh. The right-hander started the postseason with 10 scoreless innings before a two-out grand slam by Lane Vegas, his third of the postseason.
Friendswood sent four more batters to the plate but saw an impressive season end. The Mustangs, who reached the state tournament in 2022, swept Nederland, Milby and Port Neches-Groves to return to the regional semifinals.
Lake Creek, which has reached the semifinals or better four consecutive years, could advance to its first state tournament.
The Lions have to get past Magnolia West, which returned to the postseason as a No. 4 seed. Lake Creek swept the district series 5-4 and 6-5.
“I think we got this,” Marshall said. “Playing them in district, we had a couple good games against them.”
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