It was standing room only at Plano East Friday as previously undefeated Rowlett fans filled just as much of the stands as Panthers fans in the bi-district series opener.

Momentum swayed back and forth for five innings. And though the Panthers led 3-1 in the sixth, which was the ultimate final score, a fumbled fly ball in left field put the packed house on the edge of their seats.

Rowlett became more interested because that put their leadoff hitter on first base. East tightened up because they knew at any moment, an Eagles team which had not lost a game all year, would not give in.

“I knew it was a big inning,” said Mark Roberson, East senior pitcher. “If I bear down and get us out of it, we could keep the momentum in our favor.”

Roberson responded to what many fans referred to as a questionable call by striking out the next batter he faced on three pitches.

At the plate with one out was Rowlett senior Andrew Johnson, who drove a deep fly ball to the right centerfield gap. However, East senior centerfielder T.J. Bowe chased it down to give the Panthers two outs. Roberson then struck out junior Blake Hamblin to end the inning, and East headed to the final inning with a mental edge. “I’ve been around pitchers all of my life,” said Justin Snider, Plano East senior second baseman. “They are the craziest guys on the field. We played a really good defensive game aside from that one slip-up, and that made him mad. When Mark gets mad he is going to come right at you, and he did just that tonight.”

East, which had trouble hitting late in the season, found their groove early and put two runs on the board in the bottom of the first inning. But that came after an energy-injecting double play in the top of the first.

Rowlett had runners on first and third and were doubled up on a line drive down the third base line. Roberson then struck out Rowlett junior Drew Mayhill to end the inning.

With one out in the bottom of the frame, senior shortstop Jeff Emens walked and scored on a double to left field by junior Logan Reneau, who then came around on a deep shot off the top of the right field fence by junior Tyler Wylie, to put East up 2-0.

“We worked on our hitting all week,” said Travis Collins, East head coach. “I think everybody got about 10 live at-bats this week in our intra-squads. Our focus at the plate was a lot better than it was later in the season and I think that was the difference.”

Rowlett strung together some hits in the top of the second, as junior David Jackson led the inning off with a single. A sacrifice bunt attempt failed to move runners over as East junior first baseman Adam Humes snagged it in the air. Moments later, the Eagles called a double steal on a strikeout and put runners at second and third.

A single through the infield by Hamblin brought home Jackson and the Eagles were on the board.

The two teams stood at 2-1 until the bottom of the fifth inning. There, a lead off walk and a sacrifice bunt by Emens put Snider on second and in scoring position with only one out.

On an aggressive call by Collins, Snider stole third and a single by Reneau brought home the Panthers third run of the night. That is where the score would stay, but not before an exciting sixth inning and an even more intense seventh.

Roberson struck out his sixth batter on the night in the top of the final frame before a pop out at home plate ended the game and Rowlett’s undefeated run, while giving East a 1-0 series lead.

“We just wanted to come out here tonight and jump on them early,” Snider said. “And that’s what we want to do tomorrow. We just want to play one game tomorrow.”

Game 2, and if necessary Game 3, will be at Rowlett High School tomorrow with Game 2 set to start at noon.

As for defeating a previously unbeaten team, it’s possible the Panthers could be riding high. But after assessing the situation, Collins knows what this team has accomplished up to this point.

“Nothing,” he said. “We still have one more to win before we have accomplished anything. If we finish them off tomorrow, then we can celebrate for a little bit.”