By Van Wade

Orange Leader

BAYTOWN & SWEENY — Finding themselves down but not out in their Class 4A Region III area round series against Bellville, the Bridge City Cardinals found their sticks and received excellent pitching from seniors Tod McDowell and Kyle Bergeron as the Cardinals drilled the Brahmas 17-2 in Game 2 and 7-0 in Game 3 after dropping Game 1, 5-2 on Friday.

The Cardinals (22-8-1) took Game 2 at Goose Creek Memorial. Game 3 shifted to Sweeny after rains pelted the Baytown area.

Bergeron worked a complete-game shutout in Game 3, allowing just four hits while fanning six.

The Cardinal offense was smoking throughout the day, piling up 23 hits.

Bridge City will now move on to face District 24-4A rival West Orange-Stark in the Region III quarterfinals next week.

In Game 3 the Cardinals snagged three runs on two hits to go up 3-0 in the first inning. Bergeron drew a leadoff walk from Bellville starter Jake Ciebowski then swiped third and reached on an error.

McDowell would drill a stand-up triple to score the Cardinals’ first run. After Tanner Doiron drew a walk, Caleb Dubois drove in McDowell with a sacrifice fly to make it 2-0.

Austin Fitts would walk and Riley Harris drilled a slashing RBI single to plate Doiron.

Bridge City increased it to 4-0 in the bottom of the second.

Justyn Romero drew a leadoff walk as Ciebowski was lifted for reliever Colten Sunderhuse. Bergeron sent a ball deep enough to score Romero with a sacrifice fly.

The Redbirds tallied two more runs in the bottom of the fifth.

McDowell drew a leadoff walk and scored when Doiron plated him with a standup double.

After Dubois moved Doiron to third on a sacrifice bunt, Austin Fitts brought him in with a RBI single to shallow center.

Bridge City tacked on a run in the bottom of the sixth.

Bergeron reached on a one-out error and Schuyler Thibodaux had an infield single. Courtesy runner Derick Dearing made it 7-0 by scoring on a passed ball.

The Cardinals blistered the Brahmas for 16 hits in the Game 2, 17-2 rout.

Senior pitcher McDowell went all five innings for the Cardinals, allowing five hits while striking out six and walking two.

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Also in the 4A baseball playoffs, Little Cypress-Mauriceville played Caldwell late Saturday. Because of weather, Game 2 was moved from Humble, where it started, to Franklin (40 miles north of Bryan). Game 3, if necessary, was to follow.

LC-M defeated Caldwell 9-4 on Friday.