Seguin — The Dripping Springs High School Tigers baseball team punched its ticket to the Regional Semifinals of the University Interscholastic League (UIL) 6A Division II Region IV playoffs after defeating the Brandeis High School Broncos in a hard-fought three-game area playoff series.
The series opened Thursday, May 7, night at Northeast ISD Field No. 2 in San Antonio, where the Tigers and Broncos battled through an intense pitcher’s duel that stretched into 11 innings. Strong pitching and outstanding defensive play highlighted the contest, but the Broncos managed to escape with a narrow 1-0 victory.
Facing elimination, the Tigers responded in impressive fashion Friday, May 8, night in front of a large home crowd at Dripping Springs High School. The Tigers bounced back with a commanding 7-2 win to even the series and force a decisive game three. Dripping Springs collected seven hits while playing with intensity from the opening pitch.
The winner-take-all finale shifted to Seguin High School Saturday, May 9, and the Tigers wasted little time taking control. Dripping Springs exploded for five runs in the second inning and never looked back. The Tigers added five more runs later in the game to secure a dominant 10-0 victory and clinch the series.
Following the win, head coach Chris Payne praised his team’s determination and resilience throughout the series, including that of Tigers’ pitcher Nixon Padilla.
“It was going to take grit and a burning desire to be successful, whether we were up or down,” Payne said. “Nixon Padilla pitched a great game behind solid defense. It was a complete team effort and really nothing to complain about.”
Dripping Springs now advances to the UIL 6A Division II Region IV Semifinals, where the Tigers will face the La Joya High School Coyotes, who enter the series with an overall record of 30-6 and a district mark of 7-3.
The games will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 14, and Friday, May 15, at Calallen High School; if needed, a third game will be played Saturday, May 16.
