London baseball sweeps Fal to advance to sixth straight state semifinal

They may have not been the most conventional ways to score runs, but four rounds deep in the playoffs, most high school baseball teams will take runs any way they can get them. London scored single runs on an error, on a passed ball and on a bases loaded walk and Crosby Zeller tossed a four-hit shutout to put the Pirates back in the UIL State Semifinals for the sixth consecutive season with a 4-0 win against Falfurrias in Game 2 of the Region IV-3A Division I final series at Robstown's Steve Castro Field. The program is the third in Texas history to qualify for the semifinals in six straight years, joining Holliday (2001-06) and South San Antonio (1963-68).

London advances to face the Region III-3A Division I champion Huntington, the same team they faced in the state semifinals in 2025. "These guys know the standard the previous players have set," London head coach Albert Amaya said. "The see it and they want to go through it themselves.

They live up to that standard and perform up to that expectation. "We have a totally different pitching staff this year — a sophomore-dominated pitching staff — and I'm so proud of them. We tell those guys to attack the strike zone and we trust our defense.

" Zeller, one arm in the young London pitching rotation, said the first double play turned by his infield gave him confidence on the mound and allowed him to pitch comfortably. "We were working hard throughout the week," Zeller said. "Our pitching coach, coach (Michael) Galvan, keeps us level-headed and working week-in and week-out.