Boyd baseball outlasts London in thriller, wins UIL state championship
Boyd entered the UIL Texas high school baseball Class 3A Division I state championship at Dell Diamond in Round Rock Thursday looking to win its first title since 2023 and second overall.
In a rollercoaster of a game, the Yellowjackets held an 8-3 lead in the sixth inning, but a five-run frame from Corpus Christi London tied it. Boyd (39-3) took back the lead in the bottom of the sixth inning to capture a 9-8 victory and the state title.
Keelan Clary was the hero for Boyd, going 3-3 at the plate to earn MVP honors. He drove in the winning run, recording his fifth RBI with a sacrifice fly.
To start the game, Boyd fell behind when London’s Aiden Salinas hit a solo home run off junior starting pitcher William McIntire, a Texas A&M pledge. London’s Christian Olivares, a USC pledge, extended the lead in the third inning, hitting a two-run home run to left field.
Before London’s late surge, Boyd had a scoring spree of its own.
The Yellowjackets found a spark in the bottom half of the third inning, when Keelan Clary hit a two-run double down the left field line. McIntire, who settled in on the mound after giving up two home runs, proceeded to tie the game at 3-3 with a sacrifice fly.
Boyd continued to roll with small ball in the fourth inning, taking the lead on a sacrifice bunt from AJ Sarto. The Jackets then broke open the lead with a two RBI single to right field from Clary.
McIntire ended his start in the fifth inning; he conceded one earned run and six hits. That’s also when Boyd’s Jess Withers extend the Jackets’ lead to 8-3 with a double to left field.
With its back against the wall, London proceeded to find an extra gear in the sixth inning. London’s JJ Villegas started the run with an RBI single and Salinas cut the lead with a two-run double. A two-run single from Dax Williams tied the game, but the Pirates could not respond in the seventh after Boyd reseized the lead.
Boyd pitcher Colton Patton took over on the mound in the ninth inning, slamming the door and securing the title.
This story was originally published June 4, 2026 at 7:24 PM.
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