Coby Weaver Throws Perfect Game + Hallsville Sweeps Lindale

LINDALE -- Crowds and dugouts go wild at the completion of perfect games, and the celebration goes on until the next game.

Unfortunately for Hallsville pitcher Coby Weaver, the next game closely followed a complete blanking of Lindale. It's a good thing throwing a perfect game had become a routine thing before Friday.

Weaver retired 15 straight Eagles batters in a run-rule shortened 10-0 win for his third perfecto of the season. The Bobcats then completed the Class 5A bi-district series sweep, 3-0, after more than a three-hour rain delay at the Lindale ISD Baseball Complex.

"First of all, the glory goes to God," the Dallas Baptist pledge said. "But heck no, man, I'm not disappointed it wasn't a seven-inning game. I don't care how long it goes. I'm just glad we won the game. It is what it is. If it's five innings, if it's seven innings or nine innings, it doesn't matter to me. I'm glad I pitched good. That was a good win for us."

Hallsville (22-3) released its ace to go toe-to-toe with Lindale's Nash Walters, a Texas A&M signee, in the opening game. Both teams were hoping to get a leg up and close out the series with their remaining pitching depth.

Walters only allowed one hit through the first two innings, but the Bobcats' eight and nine-hole hitters cracked the code in the bottom third with a leadoff walk and a reach via an error. Back at the top of the order, three-hole hitter Austin Blakeley hit a two RBI double.

Things got way worse for Lindale (11-11) -- the fourth-place team from District 16-5A -- in the bottom of the fourth.

The Bobcats sent 12 batters to the plate and added eight runs. Weaver batted 1-for-2 during the stretch with an RBI base hit and an inning-ending fly out to left field on a full count.

Walters exited the game with one out in the fourth. Lindale faced a bases-loaded jam and a 6-0 deficit.

Cody Rozell closed the frame in relief, but not before Hallsville added its final four runs.

Weaver went back to the mound in the top fifth with the 10-run margin and retired the side on strikeouts. He did not give up more than two balls per batter in the final stretch.

The playoff match lasted an hour and 23 minutes, ending at 6:23 p.m..

Hallsville and Lindale opted to postpone the second game following the conclusion of Weaver's feat. A storm cell was over Athens at the time and moving northeast toward the game site.

The two sides waited out a handful of lightning strikes and about two hours of rain in their locker rooms.

After a 30-minute warmup, Game 2 started at 10:15 p.m.

"You try to just keep them off their feet," Hallsville head coach Scott Mitchell said. "We knew it was going to be a late night, so we tried to get them something to eat. Not something heavy, but something they could get a little energy from. We made sure they stayed hydrated. It was hot earlier today and then it got really humid.

"Mentally, it was a challenge to stay in game mode from that first game to the second game with a layoff like that. But we've dealt with adversity all year, like a lot of teams have, with the rain and the weather issues."

No. 2 pitcher Colton Brasher helped the Bobcats get back into dominant mode with three straight strikeouts in the first inning. He allowed no runs, four hits and struck out 12 batters in the decisive playoff game on just 90 pitches.

Brasher finished as he started with three swinging strikeouts to end Lindale's season.

Blakeley doubled in the top of the third to plate Jacob Walker. Logan Bailey batted in Blakeley two pitches later with a hit to a hole in center-right field.

An Eagles fielding error in the fifth inning put Ty Meissner on second base.

He came home three at-bats later on Jack Underwood's walk. Lindale thought it had recorded the third out of the frame on a strikeout and didn't react to Meissner's charge at the plate.

Laettner Greenhill had a solid, complete game outing for the Eagles. He only allowed four hits, walked three and recorded two strikeouts with 109 throws.

The game ended at 12:04 a.m.

Hallsville will move on to play Waxahachie in the area round. Times, dates and venues will be worked out today.

Waxahachie, led by head coach Tracy Wood, swept Dallas Molina in its bi-district series. It lost a District 14-4A tiebreaker game against Mansfield Legacy and was consoled with the league's second-place seed.

"I've known Coach Wood for a long time," Mitchell said. "He does a great job playing fundamental baseball, manufacturing runs and doing the little things well. So we're going to have to prepare for someone that does the things necessary to get a run or two runs. We've got to be prepared for a lot of things with him."