London Baseball Triumphs Over Huntington to Return to State Championship

The London baseball team is set to return to Round Rock in pursuit of another championship title. After a thrilling 7-6 win against Huntington in Game 3 of the Class 3A Division I state semifinals on Saturday, May 30, at Buda Hays High School, the defending state champions secured their spot at Dell Diamond.

The Pirates established an early advantage, taking a 1-0 lead in the first inning when JJ Villegas walked, advanced to second on a steal, and scored via Aiden Salinas' sacrifice fly. London then took control of the match in the third inning with Christian Olivares hitting a significant two-run double, followed by Max Carreon and Cristian Villegas contributing with RBI doubles, pushing the score to 5-0.

Huntington fought back in the fourth inning, scoring two runs, but London quickly extended their lead to 7-2 thanks to efforts from Salinas, Dax Williams, and Carreon. The Red Devils made a late-game push, scoring three runs in the fifth and loading the bases in the seventh, but Salinas managed to navigate through the pressure, sealing the win for the Pirates.

Williams, Carreon, and Villegas were instrumental in the victory, combining for six of London's ten hits. The Pirates are now gearing up for their third state championship title in the history of the program, facing Boyd at 4 p.m. on Thursday, June 4, in Round Rock.

In the game summary, Elijah Acosta earned the win, while Marcus Johnson took the loss. Aiden Salinas recorded a save for London. Key performances included Cristian Villegas with 2 hits, 2 runs, and an RBI, along with Max Carreon and Dax Williams, who also made significant contributions to the scoreboard.