STEPHENVILLE – The Early Longhorns moved within one victory of advancing to the Region I-3A baseball area round of the playoffs as they blanked the Bowie Jackrabbits, 7-0, Friday night in Game 1 of a best-of-three bi-district series.

Games 2 and 3, if needed, between the District 8-3A runner Longhorns (18-4) and District 7-3A third seed Jackrabbits (22-10) begin at noon today, back at Stephenville High School.

In Friday’s victory for Early, Cayden Laird hurled a four-hit shutout with nine strikeouts, two walks and five base runners left stranded. The Longhorn defense did not commit an error in the field.

At the plate, the Longhorns scored three runs each in the top of the first and sixth inning, and tacked on another run in the fifth.

Early’s 12-hit attack featured three, including a home run, from Bradly Roman, who drove in three runs; two hits and two RBIs from Franky Villarreal; two hits and an RBI apiece from Caleb McCullough and Jaxyn Price, who doubled; one hit and one RBI from Rylie Hill; and one hit apiece from Jeremy Brown and John-Stewart Gordon, who also doubled.

During Early’s three-run first inning, Brown led off with a single, McCullough followed with a one-out base hit and Roman launched a three-run blast over the left field fence to give the Longhorns a 3-0 advantage.

In the fifth inning, Price’s two-out RBI double to center field plated Ki Houston, who was running for McCullough, who reached base on a one-out single to left field.

Early tacked on its final three runs in the sixth inning as Hill’s bloop RBI single plated Gordon, who led off the frame with a double. With two down, Villarreal singled home Hill, while Houston – running for McCullough, who was hit by a pitch – also scored on the play for the final seven-run margin.

The series winner will advance to face either District 5-3A champion Reagan County or District 6-3A fourth seed Ballinger in the area round of the playoffs next weekend.