FORT WORTH -- Denton pitcher Dustin Riley isn’t used to facing an opponent’s ace, much less one as good as Saginaw Boswell’s Nick Fleece.

Riley hung tough with the Texas A&M signee, but Fleece’s 13 strikeouts helped a four-run first inning hold up for the Pioneers in a 4-3 win over the Broncos in Game 2 to even their Class 4A Region I quarterfinal best-of-three series on Friday at Saginaw Boswell High School.

Game 3 is at 1 p.m. today at Grapevine High School.

“That first inning killed us,” said Riley, who got the tough draw when Boswell elected to pitch Fleece in Game 2 to avoid a showdown with Bronco ace Miles Mulkey in Denton’s Game 1 win on Thursday. “They got a few hits and we waited too long to get it going and we couldn’t come back against a good pitcher like that.”

Denton (23-15) showed signs of life late in the game after Fleece waltzed through the Broncos’ potent batting order through five innings. Riley and Preston Springer hit consecutive two-out singles in the sixth to get things started for the Broncos, and Fleece walked Abel Baker to load the bases.

“We just tried to piece it together,” Riley said. “Obviously against him you can’t go up there and try to yank one out, because it’s hard to do. With him pitching the way he was pitching, two base hits got it going.”

Sean Frampton hit a two-RBI single in the next at-bat to spoil Fleece’s shutout and Mulkey knocked in Baker to cut Denton’s deficit to one. But the Broncos couldn’t get the equalizer after Fleece struck out three straight batters and Christian Perry grounded out on a bouncing hopper to short in the seventh to end the game.

“We lost, but we battled back,” said Broncos head coach Marty Green. “We got down early but hung in there and had some chances to win the game in the end. I’m really proud of my kids, the way they hung in there.”

Riley and the Broncos struggled in the first inning after Fleece struck out the side to open the game, and the Pioneers (22-13) hit three RBI-doubles in the bottom of the first en route to an early 4-0 lead. Fleece knocked in Joey Chapman with a double to open the scoring and four-hole hitter Kris Stierwalt did the same in the next at-bat.

An infield error by the Broncos kept things going for Boswell, and Paul Jacobs knocked in what turned out to be the winning run with another double.

“I think he was getting his pitches up a bit the first inning,” Green said. “Their big hitters for them drove the ball in the first. After that, we mixed it up a little better and he kept us in the ball game.”

Riley was masterful in the following five innings. The senior struck out eight batters on the night as Boswell was baffled by his dropping curve ball. Riley got into a bit of a jam in the fifth when singles by Fleece and Chapman put two runners on with only one out. But Riley struck out the next two Pioneer batters swinging.

Riley ended the bottom of the third when Boswell had two on with one out when he scooped up a shallow bunt near third base to start a 1-5-3 double play.

But as good as Riley was, Fleece got the better of him and the Broncos with an electric performance. The heart of Denton’s order – Riley, Springer and Baker – made it to base just once apiece, all in the Broncos’ sixth-inning rally. Mulkey went 2-for-3 with an RBI against Fleece, whom Mulkey said told him after Game 1 he was going to hit Mulkey with a pitch in Game 2 in retaliation for Mulkey doing the same to Fleece in Game 1. He didn’t.

“He’s [Fleece] probably one of the best I’ve seen,” Riley said. “Me and Preston have seen a lot of good pitchers and we both agreed he’s one of the best we’ve seen. He threw it pretty hard. At least at 90 mph, when he wanted to. It didn’t look like he was throwing as hard as he could, but when he wanted to, he brought it in there.”

The pitching matchup in Game 3 will be as even as it’s been in the series. Joe Hundt will make his first playoff start for Denton, and at least one Bronco is confident Denton will be able to bat its way to victory.

“We’re going to come out there and put it to them like they ain’t never had it put to them,” Riley said.

JEFF ANDREWS can be reached at 940-566-6873. His e-mail address is jandrews@dentonrc.com.

Saginaw Boswell 4, Denton 3

(Game 2, Class 4A Region I quarterfinal)

Denton 000            003            0            --            3            7            2

Boswell            400            000            x            --            4            8            0

Dustin Riley and Abel Baker. Nick Fleece and Chase Jones. WP – Fleece. LP – Riley. 2B – D: Miles Mulkey. B: Nick Fleece, Kris Stierwalt, Paul Jacobs. Records: Denton (23-15), Boswell (22-13).