EARLY – The Early Longhorns will represent District 8-3A as the second seed in the UIL Class 3A baseball state playoffs thanks to Tuesday’s 10-0 home victory over Eastland.

Early (15-7, 10-3) leads both Peaster (15-11, 8-5) and Breckenridge (10-15-1, 8-5) by two games with one league contest remaining, as the Longhorns close the regular season at Dublin at 7 p.m. Friday. No. 5 Brock (23-3-1, 13-0) has secured the 8-3A title.

In the win over Eastland, the Longhorns led 2-0 after two innings, added another pair of runs in the fourth, and ended the contest with six runs in the bottom of the fifth inning.

The Longhorns tallied six hits, drew five walks and Eastland committed a pair of errors.

Offensive standouts for Early were Cooper Jacobs, Gavin Sanders, Michael Morales, Will Prochaska, Caydon Laird and Jaxyn Price with one hit apiece. Price drove in three with a triple, Morales doubled home one, and Riley Hill contributed an RBI as well.

On the mound, Ethan Pallette went the distance and gave up two hits while striking out five and walking three over five innings.