“These guys are my family,” Moore said. “All of us, we’re all each others family. It was unfortunate at the end, but you couldn’t ask for more from any of these guys. We got here to round five, we gave it everything we had and we had an absolutely phenomenal year. I love these guys."
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Katy was inches away.
Inches away from a game three. Inches away from keeping their state tournament hopes alive and inches away from finding a way into extra innings against Pearland.
The Tigers took Pearland to the very last out in game two of their regional final series, but in the end, a bloop and an error with two outs in the seventh inning ended Katy’s season, as the Tigers fell 2-1 to the Oilers as Katy came up two games short of a state appearance.
“We’re one bloop away from still playing. All the way until the last out of the game they gave everything,” Katy head coach Wes Hearne said. “Even in the end we have three guys converging on the ball and all three of them completely sold out. Right to the very end they’re leaving their feet and doing everything possible to make a play. It just wasn’t meant to be tonight, but I am so proud of them.”
Lucas Moore did a tremendous job on the mound, getting through a strong Pearland order. The Oilers got a run in the third inning, getting a leadoff triple and then an RBI single from Jace Caceres, but Moore limited the damage, escaping having a runner on third with one out to keep the Tigers close.
Katy’s offense made solid contact in the early innings but wasn’t able to get a run until they finally broke through in the fifth. Andrew Hilton hit a double to lead off and was sacrificed over by Reese Ruderman. Pearland then made an error in the field, as Anthony Avalos couldn’t field a grounder from Nayden Ramirez which allowed Hilton to come home and tie the game.
“These guys are my family,” Moore said. “All of us, we’re all each others family. It was unfortunate at the end, but you couldn’t ask for more from any of these guys. We got here to round five, we gave it everything we had and we had an absolutely phenomenal year. I love these guys."
Moore continued his phenomenal pitching all the way into the bottom of the seventh inning, when he was finally pulled with runners on first and second with no outs. Moore allowed just one earned run on three hits through six innings while striking out one and walking one.
Cade Nelson came on in relief and nearly escaped the jam, getting two pop outs, but Pearland won it when Brett Smajstrla hit a fly ball into shallow center field that the Katy second baseman, shortstop and centerfielder all converged on and nearly made a play on before it glanced off of Josh Dunayvzan’s glove and allowed the winning run to score.
While the season may have ended for the Tigers, it was still a huge success where they earned their first regional final appearance since 2006, and Moore knows that the underclassman will continue to build on the tremendous season.
“We’ve set the bar really high, but they can be just as good,” Moore said. “As good as we were, they can be just as good. They already have the commitments, the talent and the arms. They’re going to be really good. It’s big shoes to fill but they’ve set themselves up for success.”