ROUND ROCK — Danny Wallace stared pensively at the ground outside of Flower Mound’s dugout.
Who knows what kinds of thoughts run through a coach’s head when his team just barely loses the biggest game of the season. But maybe Wallace thought about Flower Mound’s missed opportunities in its 2-1 loss to Pearland (37-8-2) in the 6A state semifinal Friday afternoon at Dell Diamond.
While Texas A&M pledge Adrian Rodriguez made it a game in the bottom of the sixth, his RBI double wasn’t enough to quench Flower Mound’s run drought over the previous five innings.
“They gave it all they had,” Wallace said. “We just needed one more hit.”
In the game that saw nationally ranked Flower Mound’s title defense end, Nico Partida didn’t let that happen for the 2023 6A state champion that beat his team in last year’s state final.
Partida, an Arizona State pledge, gave up four hits and one run through seven innings on the mound. He struck out three batters on Flower Mound’s star-studded batting lineup.
“Nico has never lost a high school start. I think he’s 17-0 now,” Wallace said. “We didn’t strike out much at all, but we just couldn’t get the big hit.”
Flower Mound (40-6) pitcher Zack James also spent seven innings on the mound. He struck out six batters and allowed seven hits, but two surrendered runs early in the game gave Pearland the edge.
Brady Brewer hit an RBI single to give Pearland a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. In the top of the third inning, John Moya singled, driving in Walker Hurst and increasing Pearland’s lead to 2-0. Flower Mound really only saw a spark when Rodriguez hit his double down the line in the bottom of the sixth inning, but three quick Flower Mound outs in the bottom of the seventh secured Pearland’s spot in the 6A state championship game for a second consecutive year.
Pearland will meet Tomball (39-3) or San Antonio Johnson (33-11) in the 6A state final at 4 p.m. Saturday at Dell Diamond. This year will mark the first time since 2017 that a Dallas-area team has not won a 6A state baseball title and the first time since then that a Dallas-area 6A team has not appeared in the 6A state final.
Friday was the fourth meeting in two years between Flower Mound and Pearland. Flower Mound won the last three meetings, including the 2023 6A state title game to earn the program its second state championship and first since 2014. Earlier this season, Flower Mound defeated Pearland 4-2.
The only unranked 6A team at last year’s state tournament, Flower Mound beat second-ranked Cypress Woods in the state semifinal and top-ranked Pearland 6-4 in the 6A state final.
Flower Mound made its fifth appearance at the UIL state baseball tournament Friday. Pearland made its seventh appearance and will try to win its second state title and first since 1980. Wallace is friends with Pearland coach David Rogers, whom he will be rooting for in the championship game.
“I told him afterward, ‘good luck [Saturday]’ and [that I] hope he wins it because they haven’t won it in quite a while,” Wallace said. “And he does it the right way.”
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