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After dropping the first game of their series with Wylie on Friday night, the Tyler Legacy Red Raiders adopted the Ernie Banks’ mindset of “Let’s Play Two.”

The Red Raiders not only played two, but won two, capturing the Class 6A best-of-three bi-district baseball series against Wylie 2-1.

On Friday, the Pirates won 3-1 in Wylie with the Tyler squad taking Games 2 and 3 on Saturday, 5-1 and 3-1.

The Red Raiders (15-15-1) advance to meet Waxahachie, a 2-0 (6-0, 2-0) series winner over No. 9 Bryan, next week in area. Wylie ends its season at 16-15-1.

“Three games in this series, pitching was awesome for us in each and every game,” Tyler Legacy coach Sam Gillispie said. “Even though we lost the first game 3-1, (Lucas) Grundy threw great. (George) Rippy threw a great game the next game and (Dakota) McCaskill followed it up (in Game 3).

“I don’t know if I have ever been involved in a series where the starters go the whole game for all three games.”

GAME 2

Rippy tossed a complete game, allowing seven hits and an unearned run and that came in the first inning. He struck out five and walked one.

Preston Newberry had two hits for the Red Raiders with Cooper Hill hitting a double. Singles were from Tyler Priest, McCaskill, Luke Davis and Mason Blake.

Hill had two RBIs with McCaskill, Davis and Walker Freeman driving in one run apiece.

Scoring runs were Priest (2), Newberry (1), McCaskill (1) and Grundy (1).

In the top of the third, the Red Raiders showed some glove and strong arms.

After Christian Bearden singled to lead off the inning, the Red Raiders had a couple of outstanding plays in the field.

On a hit-and-run, Bearden was running and Bradley Fletcher flied to center fielder Newberry. With Bearden trying to get back to first, Newberry grabbed the fly ball and fired a rope to first baseman Davis for the double play.

Wylie’s Cam Pruitt then singled to left and attempted to take second but leftfielder Landon Brown hustled to the ball and threw a strike to second baseman Priest who applied the tag for the out.

The Red Raiders then scored four in the bottom of the inning.

Newberry singled to start the inning and moved to second as Priest walked. Both runners moved up on a passed ball. Cooper Hill then hit a deep fly to center, driving in Newberry on a sacrifice fly for a 1-1 tie. McCaskill followed with a single, scoring Priest for a 2-1 Legacy advance. Grundy then walked, followed by Davis’ bunt that moved the runners over as Davis reached base. The pitcher tried to to get McCaskill at third, but overthrew his third baseman, allowing McCaskill to score for a 3-1 advantage.

Walker Freeman’s hard groundout to second base plated Grundy for a 4-1 lead for the home team.

Legacy made it 5-1 in the fourth inning as Priest singled and Hill double him home.

Logan Jeske had two hits for the Pirates with other singles from Luke Lianthong, Cam Pruitt, Brady Dalton, Riley Gildert and Christian Bearden.

Jeske scored the only run for Wylie.

Tyler Legacy catcher Mason Blake threw out two runners.

GAME 3

McCaskill was dominating on the mound, going seven innings while allowing six hits and the run was unearned. He struck out three and walked four.

The Red Raiders took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth as Priest led off the inning with a single and stole second. He came home on Hill’s RBI double.

The Pirates tied the game in the fifth as Jeske struck out but reached first base. He stole second, make it to third on a passed ball and eventually scored on a sacrifice fly by Gildert.

After a walk to Thomas Spencer, Newberry made an outstanding diving catch in right center, saving a run.

In the top of the fourth, the Red Raiders showed glove as well with Cooper Moore snagging a hotshot line drive at third. After Jaxon Borserine doubled, Canyon Hall reached on an error and Lianthong was hit by a pitch, the Red Raiders had perhaps the biggest play of the game, a pitcher’s best friend.

Shortstop Hill snagged a grounder, stepped on second and fired to first baseman Davis for a twin-killing that left the game scoreless.

Third baseman Moore robbed Boreserine in the sixth, diving to grab a ball, getting up and firing to first for an out.

Dalton and Borserine had two hits for the Bucs.

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