NEDERLAND — The ball bounced Port Neches-Groves’ way on Nederland’s natural grass.

In fact, the ball proved a little tricky for both teams in their first playoff meeting since 1999, as each committed three errors. But key hits by Blake Bost and Khristian Curtis gave PNG all the offense it needed Thursday in a 3-0, Game 1 victory in a best-of-three 5A Region III quarterfinal.

Still, PNG coach Scott Carter doesn’t think the pressure’s off the Indians (21-13-1), who were swept by the Bulldogs in District 21-5A play two months ago. The last time Nederland (20-11-2) played at home, it lost Game 1 to Galveston Ball, only to win a doubleheader there in the bi-district round.

“It’s a series,” Carter said. “We’ve got to win two, and right now, they’ve already proven they can win two in a series. We’ve proven we can win two in a series. There’s pressure on both teams. You have to come out and play tomorrow.”

Yet, there’s something to be said about being at home with a chance to clinch a series.

“It’s going to be great,” said Curtis, who hit a one-run triple in the fifth inning. “There will be a lot of fans on both sides, a lot of support.”

The series winner will face Tomball or Magnolia West.

Game 2 is set for 7 tonight at PNG, and the ballpark there will likely be as packed as Metreyeon-Delahoussaye Field was Thursday. Should Nederland survive that, Game 3 will be held at 8 p.m. Saturday at Lamar University’s Vincent-Beck Stadium.

Grant Rogers held the Bulldogs to two hits and struck out four in the complete-game win. He allowed no earned runs and walked none.

“Grant Rogers was awesome tonight,” Carter said. “He threw a great ballgame and kept them off-balance. He did exactly what we thought he would do.”

Despite the miscues, the Indians collected five hits off Nederland left-handed ace Conner Kemp, who threw six strikeouts in a complete game. Bost went 2 for 3 and scored on a throwing error in the fourth inning to open the scoring.

Curtis lined a two-out triple on a two-strike pitch in the fifth to score Ryan Sosa, who reached on a fielding error. Curtis then came home on a wild pitch.

“It kept us in the game,” Curtis said. “Insurance runs matter.”

Austin Schaper and Cade Billeaud each had a single for PNG.

Nederland got on the board in the bottom of the sixth. A throwing error allowed Adam Roccaforte on base to lead off the side, and Roccaforte, whose first cousin Carson is a PNG outfielder and pitcher, touched home plate on a Brock Holton fly ball.

Rogers allowed a single to Brock Holton and another to Corbin Chandler.

The Indians overcame another adversity of going 0 for 14 with runners in scoring position, stranding six total.

“That’s a credit to Conner Kemp,” Carter said. “He’s a really good pitcher and does a really good job. He kept spinning the ball out there and keeping us off-balance. I thought we hit the ball hard. We just kept hitting it to people. We just had to keep hitting and hope something got down.”

Nederland left four on base, three of them in scoring position, but never had more than one runner in an inning.

Echoing Carter’s thoughts, coach Bryan Spell reminded the Bulldogs — who blanked Angleton in an area-round doubleheader — they’ve rebounded from a Game 1 loss before.

“We’ve just got to go play good baseball,” Spell said. “That’s all there is to it. [PNG is] a good baseball team, a great baseball team. Once you get to this round, there’s nothing but really good baseball teams left.”

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I.C. Murrell: 721-2435. Twitter: @ICMurrellPANews