‘DOGS WIN! | Kilgore beats Center again, 9-4

Kilgore High School baseball is getting the hang of this “road trip” thing, after beating District 17-4A rival Center, 9-4, in Center on Thursday night, played a night early due to the Good Friday holiday.

Kilgore has played twice in Center this year, and has won both games. A third win on the road actually ended up being a neutral site game (Kilgore beat Henderson in Longview).

Coach Eugene Lafitte’s Bulldogs have now swept Center this season and move to 4-2 in the district slate, and 12-6-1 overall.

They’ll take the remainder of the Easter holiday off, and be back in action at Gilmer on Tuesday, April 2 – the JV Red team will play at 4:30 p.m., with varsity to follow, around 7.

Here’s how they beat Center on Thursday night.

Todd House helped put the Bulldogs up 1-0 in the first inning. House singled, then went to second on another single, this one a line drive by Tanner Beets.

Tate Truman came up and hit a grounder, turned into a double play by pitcher Easton Wulf to Center’s shortstop, T.J. Bellin, then to first to Jayden Lane. Beets was out going to second, and Truman out at first – but House was alive, standing on third.

Not for long. He scored on another line drive, this one by Colt Bullard, the pitcher helping his own cause, into left field. That put the Diamond ‘Dogs up, 1-0.

Bullard gave up a single to Sutton Link in the bottom of the inning, but then the ‘Dogs recorded three outs: Link advancing to second during a fielder’s choice by Lane; Lane advancing to second, on a grounder hit by Bellin; and Wulf, a flyout to Jordan Pierce in right field for KHS.

Center tied it up at 1 in the bottom of the second. With one out in the books, Cody Adkinson hit a single into right field, went to second on a single, and scored two batters later after a strikeout, when Gage Vidrine reached on an error, and Adkinson came on around (1-1). Bullard got Link to strike out to escape the inning.

The Roughriders would go in front in the bottom of the third. Lane was hit by a pitch, and after Bellin flied out to House at short, Lane went to second on a wild pitch, and Wulf laid down a bunt. Bullard grabbed it and threw Wulf out, but Lane went to third, then scored on an RBI double by Logan Horton (2-1 Center).

Kilgore would tie things up, then go in front for good, in the top of the fourth.

Cason Edney led off the inning with a double to center field, and then scored on a single by Kolton Hale. Center notched two outs, but then Beets reached on an error that also sent Hale to third. Truman drew a walk, loading the bases (Hale at third, Beets at second, then Truman on first).

Bullard put the ball in play – a grounder to shortstop that was mishandled – and Beets and Hale both scored (4-2).

Kason Henry came on as a courtesy runner for Bullard, and then Pierce rolled up to the plate – and smacked a line-drive single to right field, scoring both Henry and Truman (6-2). Pierce was thrown out trying to get to third, but the Bulldogs broke the tie and upped their lead.

Kilgore would plate two more runs in the top of the sixth. House started the sixth the way he started the game: with a single. And then he scored on a hit by Beets (7-2), who went on to second base on the throw.

Two batters later, Bullard hit an RBI double to score Beets (8-2).

Adkinson would score again on Kilgore in the bottom of the sixth, coming home on a wild pitch (8-3).

In the top of the seventh, Kilgore got one more run for the road. Edney hit an infield single, advanced to second on a bunt laid down by Hale, and then scored on a sacrifice fly by Cade Henry (9-3).

And Center finished things up in the bottom of the seventh, but down six, couldn’t come back and extend the game. Bellin scored on a single by Wulf.

Bullard got the complete-game win, seven innings pitched, 33 batters faced, 97 pitched thrown. He struck out six and walked one, allowing four runs, just one earned run, on eight hits.

Wulf went five innings, allowing eight runs on 11 hits and two walks, with two strikeouts in 103 pitches, facing 29 batters. Link went two innings, faced nine batters and threw 27 pitches. He allowed an earned run on three hits and walked no one, and also struck out two.

Horton and Adkinson each went 2-for-4, with Adkinson managing two singles and Horton a single and a double, with an RBI.

Wulf, Case Milford, Link, and Caleb Mosley each had a single, as well.

House had three singles, and scored twice. Beets had two singles, with an RBI and a run scored. Hale had two singles, with an RBI, and scored. Bullard had a single and a double, and 2 RBI. Pierce had two singles and 2 RBI.

Edney had a single and a double, and scored twice. Cade Henry had a single and an RBI, and Truman scored.