DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER
MISSION — Mission Veterans Memorial coach Casey Smith was surprised to see Mercedes junior pitcher Oliver Closner back on the mound for the decisive Game 3 of their Class 5A bi-district playoff series on Saturday.
Closner threw 90 pitches over seven innings during Mercedes’ 3-1 win less than 24 hours earlier. Alas, here was again taking the ball for the Tigers.
“So our strategy was to work him, make him throw and get the pitch count up again,” Smith said. “It started happening there in the fourth (inning). We knew once we got past No. 33 (Closner), who’s a heck of a ballplayer, things would get easier.”
They did. The Patriots chased Closner, holding a one-run lead when he was relieved in the fourth inning, and scored four runs on no hits against two more Tiger throwers that frame, eventually advancing to next week’s area round versus Flour Bluff with a 12-8 Game 3 win at Mission Veterans Memorial High.
“We took their No. 1 (pitcher) out and he was the only guy who gave us trouble,” said Vets junior Noel Vela, who went 0-for-1 with a strikeout against Closner but otherwise went 4-for-6 in Games 2 and 3. “We did what we had to do.”
The No. 6-state ranked Patriots (24-5) took Game 2 12-2 in a run-ruled six innings to set up Game 3. Mercedes coach Armando Reyes said bringing back Closner was a last-minute decision.
“It was not planned,” Reyes said. “I really only have a two-pitcher rotation and I had to go back to our No. 1. We just don’t have the pitching. I’m proud of the kids and the way they battled, but pitching is something we’ll develop.
“The kids that pitched today were sophomores and a junior. Next year, I expect a four-man rotation. This is good experience for our young kids.”
Closner said his arm still felt good when he was taken out after walking the first two batters in the fourth, but Reyes removed him because of a pitch count that was not disclosed. Closner allowed four runs on four hits in three innings after the complete-game, one-hit win on Friday.
The Tigers are young, and have little, especially in regard to pitching, outside of Closner. The UTRGV commit hit two home runs during the series, including a three-run bomb in the sixth inning of Game 3, and went 4-for-7 at the plate in Games 2 and 3.
Once he was relieved of his pitching duties, however, things went awry for Mercedes.
Isaac Zuniga, the first reliever for Closner, hit the first two batters he faced, one plunk with the bases loaded that led to a run. Mando Reyes came in and hit a batter with the bases loaded and walked two batters, each with the bases loaded.
By the time the fourth inning was done, Mission Veterans turned a one-run deficit into a three-run lead without putting the ball in play. The lead ballooned to seven runs before Mercedes scored five in the sixth inning to make it respectable.
Mission Vets had looked completely out of sorts in Game 1. That wasn’t the case in two games Saturday.
The offense was better — swinging at better pitches, working the count and having pitchers go deeper into counts — and the defense was stout (the Patriots did not commit an error while the Tigers had six).
There was also the mental factor. Last season, Mission Vets fell behind 1-0 in a best-of-three playoff series three times. Twice, it rallied to win those series.
“We’re used to having our backs against the wall,” said Eddie Galvan, the Game 3 winner who also had three RBIs in the finale. “That experience and knowledge that we can do it, it pushed us and motivated us. We were focused and we were ready to play. We just tried not to do too much. It’s a cliché, but we handled things one pitch at a time.”
Mission Vets had 16 hits in Game 2 and 10 in Game 3. It struck out twice in Game 2 and six times — four against Closner — in Game 3.
Ultimately, its experience and pitching depth prevailed. Mercedes’ No. 2 pitcher Payton White looked overwhelmed in Game 2, and the bullpen looked raw in Game 3.
The Patriots, meanwhile, turned in a glowing performance from Cristian Ramos as he improved to 10-1 in Game 2 and came on strong in relief in Game 3 following a steady start from Galvan.
“It’s a big advantage to have that many arms,” Ramos said. “Knowing we have 3-4 pitchers who can throw, and throw deep into games, that’s a benefit. It’s a luxury. Teams don’t have that.”