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SAN ANTONIO — The No. 1-ranked Calallen baseball team had a chance to finish off No. 2 China Spring in Game 2 of the Class 4A Division I baseball state semifinals.
The Wildcats made sure the Cougars never even entertained the idea of Game 3.
Calallen pounced for four runs each in the first and secong innings, which were more than enough for starter Drayton Mitchell in an 11-1 run-rule win in six innings to sweep the series and advance to the program’s 10th state championship game appearance.
The Wildcats will face Pleasant Grove at noon Friday, June 6, at Dell Diamond in Round Rock, aiming for their fourth state title.
“Our plan was to get ahead early and go win the second game, because we really didn’t want to go into Game 3,” Mitchell said. “(Being given a 4-0 lead) helps out a lot and takes a lot of stress off the body. Then I knew I just had to go throw strikes and let my defense work.”
Mitchell had only 100 pitches available in Game 2 after coming on in relief in Game 1 but the Wildcats’ bats — including his own — ensured that would be more than enough.
Mitchell was 1 for 3 with three RBIs including a first-inning triple that plated two and helped Calallen apply pressure early.
Chase Lynch did what he has so often this year, bringing in runs in three of his four at-bats, finishing with five RBIs.
The senior finished off the series with a two-run triple in the sixth inning to plate the 10th and 11th runs of the game and send the Wildcats into celebration.
“We knew we were going up against their No. 1 and we we knew we had to jump on them early,” Lynch said. “Yesterday they hit our guy (No. 1 pitcher). We knew that we had to score a lot of runs to win the game.
“For us to bounce back from having zero momentum early in Game 1 to end up winning that game, and end up scoring nine runs, that was excellent.”
Mitchell allowed four hits and one run in six innings, striking out four, earning the win for the Wildcats.
Calallen got to China Spring ace Jackson Fetters for eight runs and six hits in just two innings of work before Miles Vaughn relieved him in the third with the Cougars trailing 8-1.
The Wildcats overcame their own four-run deficit in Game 1, rallying for a 9-7 win, but continued to apply the pressure in Game 2 and never allowed China Spring to get momentum.
“I didn’t expect to get four runs in the first inning — that was their best pitcher — but I’m sure glad we did,” Chapman said. “Chase is our leader … he’s a very good hitter and player overall. He probably would have had to pitch in a Game 3, because he is a great pitcher along with being a great outfielder.”
Calallen returns to the state championship game for the second consecutive season after falling to Liberty-Eylau 3-1 in 2024.
“We have the same focus we’ve had since the first day of practice,” Lynch said. “We’re going to work hard and keep each other in check at practice. We are working on our mission and we are going to do whatever we can to accomplish it.”
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