Sam Houston (31-7) lost Game 1 9-2 Friday with Glass going hitless. But that all changed Saturday when he went 5-for-8 with nine RBIs, three home runs, and four runs scored.
The win sets up a huge rematch in the semifinals at McMurry Park in Sulphur with No. 1 and District 3-5A rival Barbe at 6 p.m. Thursday.
“It is what it is,” Sam Houston head coach Chad Hebert said. “The Barbe-Sam Houston thing is not going away anytime soon.
“It is going to be a big day Thursday for everybody in Southwest Louisiana.”
Glass’ biggest long ball of the day was in Game 3. The Broncos were down 2-1 after Griffin Hebert scored on a wild pitch. Glass was ahead in the count 3-0, and Hebert gave him the green light to swing away. His two-run moon shot ended up in the trees beyond the center-field wall and put the Broncos up 3-2.
“When he heats up, and it has been like that all year, he really gets going and he carries us offensively,” Hebert said. “He is seeing beach balls right now.
“He guesses the right pitch. He is probably the only guy on our team that I would let swing 3-0. He guessed fastball, and he hit it in the trees.”
He added another two-run shot in the sixth inning to give the Broncos a comfortable 8-3 lead.
His first round-tripper of the day came in the sixth inning of Game 2, a three-run blast to left field that put the Broncos up 10-1.
Glass started on the mound in Game 3 and went three innings before being relieved by Dylan Thibodeaux, who got the win. Thibodeaux pitched four innings with four strikeouts and one walk while allowing two runs on five hits.
Central (23-13) led 2-0 after Brody Knapps’ RBI double in the second inning and Jimmie Johnson’s third-inning RBI single.
Sam Houston turned four double plays on the day, including one to end Game 3.
“We have had some good teams in the past,” Hebert said. “This year we have turned double the amount of double plays that we have ever turned here.
“They have been at big times, and today the big double play to end it.”
Sam Houston never trailed in Game 2 and broke open a 1-0 game with six runs in the fourth inning and 10 in the sixth. Leadoff hitter Ashton Fuselier was perfect at the plate, going 4-for-4 with three runs scored, four RBIs, plus a double and a triple. Sam Ardoin hit a two-run homer in the sixth inning.
Alex Norris got the win for the Broncos in Game 2, going five innings with four strikeouts and allowing one run on five hits.