Douglass waited a long while to draw Carlisle.

Game on.

Collin Wallace hurled a two-hit shutout and finished with three hits to lift Douglass to a convincing 8-0 win over Cayuga in a one-game Class 1A Region III baseball semifinal Saturday at UT Tyler’s Irwin Field.

Wallace improved his record to 12-0 on the season, helping Douglass (27-3) move into the regional finals to face Carlisle, which ended Douglass’ season a year ago in the regional semifinal round.

The senior struck out three batters and walked two to stay unbeaten. He never faced more than four batters in any inning to win a showdown with Cayuga’s Jimmy Johnson.

“I just had to hit my spots,” Wallace said. “He’s a (good) pitcher. I just had to outpitch him and keep them off balance.”

After Chase Partin slapped a lead-off double in the bottom of the first, Wallace singled in the game’s first run, which proved enough thanks to his arm.

The Indians increased their lead to four after three straight unearned runs. Two runs crossed in the first on an errant throw from shortstop with runners at second and third. In the fourth, another infield throwing error allowed Bryce Westbrook to score for a four-run margin.

The wheels fell off for Cayuga (28-4) in the fifth after Reed Westbrook reached when the throw from third base pulled the first baseman off the bag.

Wallace followed with a single before Kolten Rhoudes ripped an inside-the-park home run to deep right field to make it 7-0.

Following a pitching change, Douglass plated a final run later in the fifth after reliever Chantz Holland hit Partin with the bases full.

Bo Sharp chalked up Cayuga’s lone extra-base hit, an ill-fated sequence that ended with the slugger getting thrown out trying to round second in the opening frame. Cayuga never advanced a baserunner past second.

Wallace received help on the defensive end from twin brother Blake Wallace in center field, who made a diving catch to prevent extra-bases in the fifth.

“I just kept catching breaks,” Collin Wallace said. “It wasn’t me as much as it was everyone else.”

—

Douglass 8, Cayuga 0

Class 1A Region III Semifinals

At Irwin Field, UT Tyler

Cayuga0000000—024

Douglass 300140X—882

Jimmy Johnson, Chantz Holland (5) and Jake Nash; Collin Wallace and Brandon Stanfield.

W – Wallace (12-0). L — Johnson.

2B — C: Bo Sharp; D: Chance Partin. HR — D: Kolten Rhoudes (fifth, two on).

SB — C: Cota Wilburn.

RECORDS — Cayuga 28-4; Douglass 27-3.

NEXT UP — Cayuga season complete; Douglass vs. Carlisle in Class 1A Region III finals.