McKINNEY - Slade Heathcott was 4-for-7 with three home runs - including a grand slam - eight RBIs and a double as Texarkana Texas High defeated host McKinney North, 13-0 and 6-2, Saturday to win the Class 4A Region II final series, 2-1.

"We battled all year, got on a nice run in the playoffs and won seven in a row. We just couldn't get it done today," McKinney North head coach Jim Gatewood said.

Hunter Allday and Heathcott, an LSU signee, each had a two-run home run in Game 3. Texas High advanced to the state tournament for the first time since 1982.

Zach Diaz's solo home run cut the deficit to 4-2 in the fourth inning of Game 3 before Texas High turned its second consecutive inning-ending double play and held McKinney North (23-11), a 2006 state semifinalist, to one hit the rest of the way.

Kindle Ladd and Diaz each went 2-for-3 in Game 3 for McKinney North, which won the series opener, 2-1, on the road Thursday.

Arkansas signee Randall Fant allowed only Diaz's second-inning double in Texas High's five-inning, run-rule win in Game 2. McKinney North made seven errors in the loss.

Rich Hilliard