DIAMOND ‘DOGS WIN, SLIP IN TOURNEY | Finish Sat., then back to district sked. next week
Lots of quotes over the years have been attributed to former Alabama and Texas A&M football coach Paul “Bear” Bryant, such as, “Three things can happen when you throw the ball, and two of them are bad.” And then there’s this beauty: “A tie is like kissing your sister.”
No one knows for sure what all Bryant had to say – and this is baseball, after all – but here’s one he didn’t say that could pertain to baseball: lessons learned in March can really help you down the stretch in April, when it matters most.
In other words, make note of it now, in tournament time, and not when it’s district time.
Kilgore, who went to the Tiger Classic in Mount Pleasant having won four straight games – including its District 17-4A opener at Center on Wednesday night – has lost two of three in the tournament, falling to Paris on Thursday (as mentioned here on this very website), and then splitting the day on Friday.
The Diamond ‘Dogs waited like all the morning participants on the weather and then the schedule to be re-set, then defeated Hooks, 9-3, but then essentially played the second half of a doubleheader, falling to Harmony in game two, 3-0.
Kilgore (8-4-1 on the season to date, and 1-0 in 17-4A) is set to face Sulphur Springs on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. – or at least, that was the plan before the rain, and seems to still be. Kilgore already has a win over Sulphur Springs this season, a lopsided 18-2 win back on Feb. 24.
After the tournament, the Diamond ‘Dogs will go right back to district play next week, even though it’s spring break. They’ll host Gilmer Tuesday night at Driller Park, a 7 p.m. start, and then go to “old friend” Henderson next Friday, March 15, for another 7 p.m. first-pitch.
If anything changes on those dates are times, due to spring break or anything else, we’ll update it here on ETBlitz.com.
In the 9-3 win over Hooks on Friday morning, KHS got a complete-game pitching performance from Tanner Beets, although it was shortened due to tournament play. Beets went four innings, faced 23 batters and threw 77 pitches. He struck out four, walked just three, and allowed three runs (none earned) on five hits.
Hooks threw Hudson Davis and Casen May, and things didn’t go near as well for them, or at least, for Davis, who threw three innings and faced 20 batters. Davis allowed seven runs (four earned) on seven hits, walked two, threw 67 pitches and didn’t have any strikeouts. May came on late, for just an inning, facing just six batters. He still allowed two runs, both unearned, but allowed no hits and walked two.
Hooks’ five hits were all singles: three hits by Davis, who also had an RBI and scored a run, and then Ripken Birdwell (what a great baseball name) and Jamarion Smith each had a single.
For the Bulldogs, Beets had two singles and an RBI. Tate Truman had a single and an RBI and scored a run. Kolton Hale had a double and scored. Colt Bullard had a double, an RBI and scored twice. Todd House had a single and scored a run. And Kason Henry had a single and an RBI.
In the loss to Harmony that followed, the Eagles got their three runs in the first two innings, on three hits, and then nobody could score after that.
Even with only two hits – both singles, by Bullard and by Cade Henry – Kilgore had its chances to score, thanks to those and a couple of errors by the Eagles, but the Bulldogs just couldn’t plate the runs. And giving credit, Harmony pitcher Riley Patterson did a nice job, with six strikeouts and holding a strong Kilgore lineup in check. He allowed just the two hits and walked only one, having pitched five innings and faced 18 batters on 80 pitches.
Kilgore’s Brodey Benson went 2 1/3 innings, allowing three runs but only one of them earned, walked six and struck out two, allowing just two hits on 17 batters faced, and 75 pitches. Jordan Pierce came on for 2 2/3 innings, facing 10 batters. He struck out three, walked two and allowed no runs on one hit, throwing 48 pitches.