LUBBOCK The Odessa High baseball team opened its Class 6A area-round playoff series with a 7-3 victory over Abilene High on Friday night at Moegle Field.
Cristian Baeza pitched a complete game and drove in two runs, while Hervey Nieto added two RBIs as the Bronchos (25-9) won their third consecutive game in the playoffs.
Game 2 of the series is scheduled for noon Saturday at Moegle Field. Game 3, if necessary, would start 30 minutes following the conclusion of Game 2.
Baeza (10-1) struck out four while holding the Eagles to three runs on five hits. At the plate, he went 3 for 4 with a double.
Nieto singled in a run in the first to give Odessa High the early lead and Baeza singled in a run in the third before the Bronchos broke the game open with four runs in the fourth off Eagles starter Andrew Bennett. Bo J. Martinez, who was 3 for 5, doubled in a run and scored when Andres Martinez reached on an error. After a single by Gibrian Pena, who was 2 for 3, Nieto delivered a sacrifice fly before Baeza capped the outburst with an RBI double.
Bo J. Martinez scored on an attempted double steal in the fifth to make it 7-1.
Abilene High (20-12) scored all its runs via sacrifice fly. Bailey Aulerich drove in a run in the fourth and Marcus Romero and Andrew Ezzell went back-to-back in the fifth.
CLASS 6A AREA PLAYOFF SERIES
At Moegle Field, Lubbock
GAME 1
Odessa High. 101 410 0 — 7 11 0
Abilene High.. 000 120 0 — 3 5 3
Cristian Baeza and Andres Martinez. Andrew Bennett, Bailey Aulerich (4) and Terrell Franklin. W — Baeza (10-1). L — Bennett. 2B — Odessa High: Bo J. Martinez, Jacob Munoz, Baeza; Abilene High: Wes Berry. 3B — Abilene High: Bennett.
Records — Odessa High 25-9, Abilene High 20-12.
