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"We have a deep pitching staff," Heard said. "That has been our strength all year. We know that in a three-game series you have to have the pitching."
Freshman sensation Bobby Stone, who picked up Thursday night's victory to improve to 10-2 on the season, got the start in game two after pitching only two innings in game one. The lefthander struggled early on as the Bulldogs came out swinging. Nederland put two runs on the board on four hits to take a 2-0 lead heading into the bottom of the first. Montgomery showed the kind of resiliency in the home half that it has shown all year, the ability to overcome adversity and battle back. Michael Heard opened the frame with an opposite field double that went all the way to the left field wall. Chase Moore and Dustin McCandless followed with singles to load the bases with two outs. Cory Spaugh then delivered a clutch three-RBI single to right that chased home Seth Hill, who reached on a fielder's choice, Moore, and McCandless to give the Bears a 3-2 advantage.
Nederland, ranked No. 2 in the state, came roaring back in the top of the third. After Dustin Hood singled and Brock Lemire walked, Ryan Brauninger legged out an infield hit to load the sacks. Jordan Rash then walked to bring in Hood to knot the score at 3-3. Cody Deitz then grounded out, bringing in Lemire for a 4-3 Nederland advantage.
Garrett McCloud singled to left field, driving in Brauninger to up the lead to 5-3. Chris Laird's fielder's choice brought home Rash and the Bulldogs had doubled up
Montgomery 6-3.
The Bears cut into the Bulldog lead and trailed 6-4 after Chris Harris scored on a Spencer Hylander fielder's choice. Nederland tacked on another run in the top of the fifth on McLeod's double that plated Beau Helmke. The Bears fought back and knotted the score at 7-7 in the bottom of the fifth. Derrick Washington came through in the clutch with a two-RBI single to right that sent James Schroeder and McCandless, who singled earlier, across the pay station to trim the Nederland lead to 7-6. Hylander, who has wheeled a lethal bat of late, delivered a double to right field to send Harris across the dish and tie the score at 7-7.
In the top of the sixth, the Bulldogs regained the lead as Brauninger singled home Austin Gaspard. Montgomery answered the call in the bottom of the sixth stanza. Heard led off with a single. Moore later singled in Heard to pull the Bears even at 8-8. McCandless then brought the Montgomery fans to their feet when he took Matison Smith's fastball off the wall in right field, chasing home Hill, who earlier reached on a fielder's choice, and Davis Schroeder, who was running for Moore. McCandless' big blow put the Bears on top 10-8. Spaugh then added an insurance run with a single to right that sent McCandless across the dish for an 11-8 lead.
The Bulldogs would not go quietly in the top of the seventh. Daniel Slover singled to load the bases, but Cody Springer coaxed two fly balls to end the game and move the Bears on to the region semi-finals for the first time in history.
Galloway worked two innings in relief and gave up one run
on four hits to get the victory and run his record to 3-1.
Springer pitched the seventh and recorded his third save.
'It was a great win against a very good team," Heard said. "The Bears fought hard. They knew that they were going to be in for a battle. They responded well."
Montgomery improves to 28-6 and will face the winner of the Terry/Waltrip series, whille Nederland bows out of the playoffs with a 23-5 record.
