HOUSTON — One message Bryan Spell had for the Nederland Bulldogs after Saturday’s game at the University of Houston was that the Barbers Hill Eagles beat a good baseball team.

“They’ve got a bright future going forward, and so do we,” he said. “I hope they [the Bulldogs] don’t dwell on the things that didn’t do right today. I hope they dwell on the things that went right all year. The things they made go right.”

Nederland’s longest playoff run in five years ended at Schroeder Park as Barbers Hill posted a 6-1 victory. The District 22-5A champion Bulldogs finished the season 25-9-1.

“We all stayed together,” senior catcher Case Babino said. “It wasn’t really a team, it was a brotherhood, really. We just came together.”

Nederland missed the playoffs in 2016 and was eliminated in the 2017 bi-district round by Barbers Hill. This time, the Bulldogs went two rounds forward.

“It means the world to me,” senior Angel Castillo said after going 2 for 3 with a triple and double. “A lot of people doubted us, saying that we wouldn’t even be a contender in district. To come in first place in district and to come all the way here to the third round means a lot to us.”

The 21-5A champion Eagles (26-10) will take on Tomball Memorial, which took Games 2 and 3 to eliminate Tomball, in the 5A Region III semifinal.

Four errors hurt the Bulldogs as they tried to force a Saturday doubleheader in this best-of-three series. Two errors proved costly in their 3-2, Game 1 loss Wednesday.

Barbers Hill broke a 1-all tie in the fifth inning on Cully Mangus’ two-run single. That came after Nederland left the bases loaded in the fourth thanks to three BH mistakes and a walk.

The Eagles made it 6-1 after a missed fly ball at right field allowed two runs to score on Cameron Cauley’s at-bat and River Orsak singled in a run with two outs.

Logan Henderson earned the win after striking out five and allowing one run on two hits. Michael Disney recorded an out in the seventh inning and Vasquez finished it off.

Castillo tagged the run against Henderson on Babino’s sacrifice grounder after reaching with a double. He slapped his triple in the third, only to be thrown out at the plate on a Babino fielder’s choice.

Castillo has gone 5 for 8 in the past three games.

“Just try to keep our heads in the game and try to stay focused,” he said, asked how Nederland tried to stay in it emotionally after Barbers Hill’s big inning. “They continued to score and we tried to stay positive and get the outs.”

Conner Kemp struck out one and gave up six runs on four hits in 5 2/3 innings to take the loss. Alan Underwood, a senior, worked a three-up, three-down seventh.

“They hit the ball,” Babino said. “They shut us down at the plate. They’ve got some really good pitchers who did the job.”

Eight Bulldogs were left on base.

Nederland’s loss record was incorrect in Thursday’s post-game report and Saturday’s Game 2 preview.

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