On Friday, Boyd was looking at a two-run deficit in its final at bat against Maypearl during the UIL Class 3A state semifinals. Three outs away from the season being over.
A walk-off by Aidan LeMasters sent the Yellowjackets to the championship on Saturday against Wall.
The comeback win gave them another life.
NOW THEY’RE STATE CHAMPIONS!
Boyd scored four runs in the fifth inning and starting pitcher Eric Rogers had a perfect game after four as the Yellowjackets survived a late rally to beat the Wall Hawks 6-4 in the Class 3A state baseball championship at Dell Diamond in Round Rock.
It’s the program’s first state title, as well as its first appearance at the tournament.
Rogers was dealing early and coming off the win on Friday against Maypearl. He pitched two innings out of the bullpen and was credited with the victory. On Saturday, he was perfect through four innings and shut down Wall’s first 12 batters.
Neither team scored in the first inning, however Boyd did manage to get a runner on following a one out single from Aaron McGilvery. But Wall’s Augden Hallmark got a strikeout and grounder to short.
Two straight pop flies and a grounder to short got Rogers out of the top of the second while Boyd took a 1-0 lead. Rogers led off the bottom half of the inning with a double down the left field line. Keelan Clary came in to pinch run for Rogers and advanced to third on a fly out to center by LeMasters, Friday’s hero.
After a strikeout, Clary scored on a wild pitch from Hallmark to give Boyd the lead.
Rogers would pick up a pair of strikeouts in the third while Hallmark struck out the side in order to send the game to the fourth. Jax Heid hit a one out single for Boyd and Rogers walked to put two runners on for the Jackets. Houston McIntire was hit by a pitch with two outs to load the bases and a second straight hit batter drove home Heid to give Boyd a 2-0 edge.
Hallmark would get a fielder’s choice to limit the damage.
Will Scherr would break up Rogers’ perfect game with a two out single in the top of the fifth, but Rogers still had the shutout going. Then Boyd erupted for four runs in the bottom of the inning sparked by Heid’s double to center.
Colton Patton led off with a single up the middle and McGilvery reached on a throwing error by the Hawks. Braden McIntire laid down a good bunt single to load the bases and Heid drilled a pitch to center to drive in Patton and make it 3-0.
Next batter and Rogers hit a grounder to short for the second out, but did drive in McIntire. Next batter and LeMasters hit a long triple to deep center to drive in Heid and give Boyd a 6-0 margin.
Wall avoided the shutout with an RBI single from Caleb Braden off Rogers, but the star pitcher had to be pulled after reaching his 110-pitch limit. Again, Rogers pitched two innings on Friday, which added to his total on Saturday.
Wall was able to load the bases, but Patton got a fly out to center to end the threat. The Hawks gave Boyd a sweat in the top of the seventh, down 6-1. The first three batters reached base on back to back singles and a walk. Patton got a strikeout for the first out. Then Scherr scored on a passed ball and Kellan Oliver doubled in two runs to cut the lead to 6-4. Elijah Webber, who got the win in Game 3 against Gunter during last week’s regional final, was called to the mound and got a fielder’s choice and grounder to end the game.
Rogers picked up his 14th win of the season (14-2) and was voted champ game MVP. He went 5 2/3 innings and allowed one run on three hits and struck out five. Webber was credited with the save.
Boyd beat Gunter 9-0 in both Game 1 and Game 3 last week to clinch a state berth. Gunter had won the region and reached state the previous two seasons.
Wall (35-7-1) was making its third appearance at state. The Hawks won the 3A title in 2019 and played in the 3A final in 2017. Boyd (40-5) is the first school from DFW to win a 3A baseball state championship since Kennedale in 2011.
