BEAUMONT — Nederland settled the score again, just like in 1999.

In the first UIL playoff between archrivals Port Neches-Groves and Nederland since then, the Bulldogs closed out a three-game 5A Region III quarterfinal series in a fashion similar to 1999, coming off Friday’s Game 2 win to clinch Game 3, 5-1, before a near-capacity crowd at Vincent-Beck Stadium.

“It wasn’t any speech I made,” Nederland coach Bryan Spell said. “It was the grit of our players that won the series for us. … We’re not real pretty, but we’re dang sure gritty. We’ve got a tough team. We play hard. We play for one another. The ball bounced our way a few times.”

Nederland (22-11-2), which has beaten PNG in four of five games this season, next will take on Magnolia West, a 1-0 and 10-0 winner over Tomball. Dates, times and places for that series have yet to be determined.

PNG (21-15-1) took Game 1 at Nederland on Thursday, 2-1, but struggled to get more offense going the rest of the series. Nederland won Friday, 3-0, and pitcher Jacob Mares — who struck out four — had a shutout going into the top of the seventh inning Saturday.

Mares held PNG to a run on four hits, two of them in the final frame, to pick up the complete-game win.

“Going into the game at first, I was very confident,” the senior said. “… Those two hits [before the seventh], they didn’t down me at all. I loved it. It was a such a rush, and every single pitch, I loved every moment of it.”

Not only that, the Bulldogs overcame a trio of errors to win Game 3. Four errors dogged them in Game 1, and they played mistake-free ball in Game 2.

“I think we played a lot better defense, without a doubt,” Spell said. “We moved the ball a little bit. We got some hits, small ball, got some bunts down and got some innings started.”

A four-run bottom of the fifth inning finally gave Mares some backing.

Kamden Grant led off with a single. Two straight flyouts to shortstop ensued, but the Indians elected to intentionally walk Landon Hiltz at the top of the order.

PNG starter Khristian Curtis then walked Adam Roccaforte and Omar Mascorro to force Grant home. Hiltz then scored on a passed ball, and designated hitter Brock Holton lined a two-run single despite a diving stop by Dean Guidry.

A seventh-inning throwing error on Corbin Chandler’s at-bat allowed Rene Cunningham, who reached on fielding miscue at third, to make it 5-0. Those were the Indians’ only errors of the game.

“They got timely hits and we didn’t,” Indians coach Scott Carter said. “We had guys in scoring position and we didn’t get the hit when we needed it.”

Curtis allowed five hits and struck out three in five-plus innings before giving way to Austin Schaper, who tossed two strikeouts and faced four batters.

“I thought our pitching was good. I thought their pitching was good,” Carter said. “I thought we all competed extremely well. If it can’t be us, I’m glad it’s them. I hope they go compete and I hope they do well.”

Cade Billeaud, who singled with one out in the seventh, finally plated a run for the Indians on a Carson Roccaforte single to right. Ryan Sosa and Blake Bost also had singles in the loss.

Omar Mascorro, Wade Butler and Brian Davila each singled for the Bulldogs.

“I had faith in my team and my pitching to keep on going so that I could my job done pitching,” Mares said.

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I.C. Murrell: 721-2435. Twitter: @ICMurrellPANews