PORT NECHES — Port Neches-Groves’ baseball team had about 22 hours to process a Game 1 loss in the 5A bi-district round to Friendswood.

“We played pretty well the first ballgame,” coach Scott Carter said Tuesday. “We had a chance to win it in the seventh and just didn’t get the timely hitting that we needed. The kids were confident going in the next day to get the job done.”

PNG rode that confidence to an 8-2, 6-0 doubleheader sweep and will return to The Ballparks in Crosby on Friday for another double dip — this time, Games 1 and 2 against Shadow Creek (12-8-1) — starting at 5 p.m. STAAR testing and a nearly booked-up site led to the agreement to take two Friday.

“Now, how is it going to affect us? Hopefully we play well in Game 1 and it doesn’t affect us much in Game 2,” Carter said. “We’re going to have to turn around and be ready to play, no matter what happens.”

Should the Indians (18-13-1) sweep Friday, there won’t be a need to settle the series Saturday (time to be determined). But the Indians could potentially get a chance at revenge against Mid-County rival Nederland, which swept PNG’s first district series in March.

Nederland will play Game 1 against Angleton on Friday at Crosby and return for Game 2 (and potentially Game 3) on Saturday.

“Oh, it’s motivation,” junior left-hand pitcher Carson Roccaforte said. “We don’t want to look ahead, but knowing that if we beat Shadow Creek, it motivates us more to advance, and hopefully we get to see them again.”

Roccaforte tossed a complete Game 3 shutout against Friendswood after senior righty Grant Rogers went the distance in Game 2. Rogers was coming off a 13-strikeout classic in a senior night win over Vidor.

“I didn’t want it to be my last week,” Rogers said. “Practice is always fun, so you have to work hard and not let it be your last game and be the last one to win. The previous week, I had 13 strikeouts, so I tried going off that.”

PNG thrived off clutch hitting in its past two games, particularly in the sixth inning. The Indians posted a 3-spot to expand a 5-2 lead in Game 2 vs. Friendswood and built on a 2-0 lead in the clincher with four runs in the frame.

“Dean Guidry and Ryan Sosa are two of our guys who have been coming through clutch for us all year long,” Carter said. “They hit in our 2- and 3-hole and do a good job for us. They’re both sophomores, and they swing it really well.”

So does Roccaforte, the Indians’ leadoff man and leading hitter on the season. He ignited both insurance rallies with base hits.

On the mound, he followed up Rogers’ three-hitter with a four-hit, nine-strikeout shutout.

“Just following off Grant’s pitching performance, I knew I had to do something like that just to get us to stay alive,” Roccaforte said.