HoustonChronicle.com

• Clements survives mistakes against Elkins
• Baseball playoffs
• Roundup: Woodlands takes 1-0 series lead

Woodlands takes 1-0 series lead

TOMBALL -- The Woodlands' Brad DePoy tossed a two-hitter to hand A&M Consolidated an 8-2 defeat and a 1-0 deficit in the best-of-three 5A Region II quarterfinal series Thursday night.

A&M Consolidated, noted for having one of the toughest pitching staffs in the state, allowed the Highlanders 22 baserunners. DePoy struggled with his control, but struck out eight while walking six. "The strike zone was real tight, but he did what he had to do," The Woodlands coach Ron Eastman said.

DePoy got into a jam in the bottom of the first. He walked the first batter and hit the second. Consolidated's Brett Lawler singled to left field to load the bases. The next batter Wade Michalsky hit a sacrifice fly to score pitcher Bobby Bramhall and give Consolidated a 1-0 lead.

In the top of the second, Bramhall would struggle. With two men out Elliot Roberts hit a single into left center to advance Shea Robin to third base. Jordan Roberts followed with a single to score Robin. The next batter, Trent Elizondo, then hit a single to right field to score Roberts, who beat the Chance Williams throw home. The Woodlands' top three batters were 10-for-12 on the night.

"All three of us are seniors and we just had to step up," The Woodlands Elliot Roberts said.

Bramhall seemed to have settled down in the third, getting the first two batters to pop out, but with two outs, Highlanders catcher Danny Lehmann stepped up and crushed a homer into the forest over the left-field wall.

"Pitching is key for us, but we got into a hole tonight and couldn't get out," A&M Consolidated coach Rex Sanders said.

In the top of the fourth with one out Elliot Roberts reached on a double to left field, then scored on an RBI double by Jordan Roberts. After walking Elizondo, Bramhall was pulled for relief pitcher Matthew Langwell. Jordan Roberts then scored on an RBI single by Highlanders shortstop Aaron Cook to give The Woodlands a 5-1 lead.

In other games:

·Robert Hagan was the man of two different hours in La Porte's 3-2 11-inning win over Clear Creek at Jim Kethan Field in Deer Park. The victory gives the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three 5A Region III quarterfinal series.

Despite shaky pitching and defense, Clear Creek took a 2-1 lead into the bottom of the seventh inning. Hagan gave La Porte new life with a one-out home run over the 365 feet sign in center field.

Four innings later, the Wildcats were trouble again. Jake Bussey used a two-base error and a wild pitch to reach third base with no out. With both the infield and outfield drawn in, Hagan ripped a shot into the right-field corner to end to the contest.

"I was trying to hit the sacrifice fly to bring (Bussey) in," Hagan said. "I just wanted a hit (in the seventh). I was trying to get on. He (Clear Creek pitcher J.P. Padron) threw me my favorite pitch, high and outside."

·The Brenham Cubs grabbed the upper hand in their best-of-three Region III quarterfinal series with a 14-3 victory over Little Cypress-Mauriceville at San Jacinto college.

The Cubs (28-2) were lead by leadoff man Kurt Seilheimer, who went 3-for-4 and ended the game in the bottom of the sixth inning with a towering two-run homer. It was Seilheimer's first home run of the season as he also would score four runs on the night. Bradley Kohring improved his record to 5-0 on the season by pitching a complete game for the Cubs while striking out three.

The Bears (27-6), were led by catcher Knox McCorquodale, who belted his seventh home run of the season to give LC-Mauriceville an early 2-0 lead in the first inning before the Cubs would add two of their own and then take the lead for good in the third inning.

·Bryan Minzenmeyer scored an unearned run in the ninth inning to lead La Grange to a 4-3 victory over Barbers Hill in the first game of the Class 3A Region III series at Cy Falls. The Leopards' win snaps the Eagles' 18-game win streak.

Barbers Hill forced extra innings with three runs on two hits in the seventh inning. Jacob Kozelsky (9-1) pitched two scoreless innings of relief to pick up the win.