Whitehouse Rolls to 10-3 Win Over Prosper in Game 1 of Their Class 4A Regional Semifinal Series

WAXAHACHIE -- Whitehouse has made it look very simple thus far in the playoffs. Seven games, seven wins.

The Wildcats used a pair of four-run innings, while pitcher Patrick Mahomes worked through several jams in Whitehouse's 10-3 win over Prosper in Game 1 of their Class 4A Region II semifinal series Thursday night at Paul Richards Park.

Whitehouse (27-8) will go for the series sweep of Prosper (19-17-1) in Game 2, which is scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday back in Waxahachie. A win would send Whitehouse to the regional finals for the first time in school history.

The Wildcats were eliminated in this round a season ago by eventual state champion Rockwall-Heath.

"We walked into Rockwall-Heath in the fourth round last year and they got Game 1," said Whitehouse coach Derrick Jenkins. "To get it here and do it the way we did it -- scoring 10 runs -- they haven't been blown out a whole lot. So hopefully tomorrow, they come in thinking they've got to score some runs off us offensively."

Derek Clemons and Rex Swinney each had two RBIs for Whitehouse, while Aaron Clemons and Mahomes collected two hits apiece. Jared Raabe was 1-for-2 with an RBI double and a run scored.

Mahomes (8-1) got the win, allowing three runs on eight hits in 6 1/3 innings. He struck out 10 and walked six, pitching with men on base all night long. Prosper outhit Whitehouse 9-8, but stranded 11 runners.

"I thought he threw well," Jenkins said of Mahomes. "He had a few walks today, but I truly feel like this was his best outing in the last two or three weeks. He threw a slider for a strike, the fastball, he went in and out a little bit. They had a bunch of weak hits and found some holes."

Prosper starter Aaron Varden, staked to a 1-0 lead after the top of the first, breezed through the first inning. But things began to unravel after Mahomes led off the Whitehouse second with a single to right field.

"As soon as we got the first guy on in the second inning, (Varden) just struggled," Jenkins said. "They were so concerned about baserunners, he had a hard time pitching to guys -- leaving balls up a little bit and got hit hard. And the way we run bases, as aggressive as we are, once we get on base it makes people have to think about us a little bit."

Raabe and Derek Clemons followed the Mahomes single by drawing walks to load the bases with nobody out. Jake Parker then grounded into a fielder's choice RBI to tie the game, 1-1. Swinney delivered another fielder'choice RBI, Parker scored on a wild pitch and Ryan Cheatham came through with an RBI groundout for a 4-1 lead.

Raabe's RBI double made it 5-2 in the third and Whitehouse broke it open with four runs in the fifth, highlighted by Derek Clemons' two-run double and Swinney's RBI single. Eric Munoz accounted for Whitehouse's final run of the night with a run-scoring single in the sixth.

Prosper's season now rests on the left arm of staff ace Brandon Gilson, a TCU signee.

"He's signed with TCU, he's a lefty and he's been anywhere from 84-90 mph," Jenkins said of Gilson. "He throws a little slider and does some good things. He's a true pitcher, but we've talked it about all year long: to win a state championship, you've got to beat guys like him on the mound. 4A in the fourth round, nobody's here without good pitching."

Whitehouse will counter with junior Ryan Cheatham (12-0).

"We're going to toss the ball to Cheatham and let him do what he does," Jenkins said. "I'll put anybody in the state of Texas against Cheatham on the mound. I expect him tomorrow to come throw a gem and finish this thing up."

If a third game is necessary, it will take place at 2 p.m. Saturday in Waxahachie. The series winner will face either Frisco Liberty or Mansfield Legacy next week with a spot at the state tournament on the line.