KILGORE TAKES ONE | Kilgore knocks off Central Heights in Whataburger OBC; back in action at 7 tonight against Prestonwood

EDITOR’S NOTE: These were notes as the game happened on Thursday between Kilgore and Central Heights as a part of the Whataburger Oil Belt Classic. Kilgore took a 6-4 win, the Diamond ‘Dogs’ first win of the season. Here’s a link to our preview of the tournament (THE WHATABURGER OIL BELT CLASSIC | It’s Thursday, Friday & Saturday at Kilgore’s Driller Park — here’s a complete preview). Games the rest of the day today: a 5 p.m. start of Collinsville and Mineola, and a 7 p.m. start of Kilgore-Prestonwood.

Well, I’m here at Driller Park, awaiting the start of Kilgore-Central Heights for the Whataburger Oil Belt Classic baseball tournament.

This is actually the 60th annual playing of this tournament, and this year’s lineup includes Kilgore (of course, the host team), Harmony, Redwater, Pittsburg, Central Heights, Mineola, Collinsville and Prestonwood.

If you click the link above, we have a pretty solid preview of the tournament, which began Thursday morning and continues through Saturday afternoon. Baseball, baseball, baseball — not a bad way to spend the day. I could get spoiled like this.

We’ve got Mineola and Harmony on the field right now, late in the game, with Mineola in front, 6-4. Kilgore vs. Central Heights is on tap, and I’ll be here with you guys through that game doing live updates — with some of my opinions thrown in, kind of like a living, breathing version of one of my “What’s Causing All This?” columns.

All right, an update already: Mineola hangs on and beats Harmony, 6-4, so there will be a break for Kilgore and Central Heights to warm up, maybe do some infield, and we’ll see the Diamond ‘Dogs against coach Travis Jackson and the Central Heights Blue Devils.

• Coaches are meeting at the plate with the officials, and we’re gonna get under way.
• Central Heights at the plate, as the visiting team, and Brady Owen reaches on an error, the first batter.
• Kilgore pitcher Cason Edney has a 2-2 count on batter Logan Baker right now. Owen still at first.
• It’s 3-2 now on Baker. He fouls off a pitch.
• Baker smacks a shot into shallow left field, putting Owen at second, Baker at first on a single.
• Garner Rodriguez steps into the batter’s box for the Blue Devils.
• He takes the first pitch, a ball, and then hits into a double play turned by the third baseman, to second, to first. Kilgore has two outs on the Devils, with a runner at third, and Luke Williamson at the plate for Heights.
• Williamson fouls off the first pitch from Edney, then fouls off the second. He’s in the hole, 0-2.
• It’s Williamson with an infield single, and Kilgore unable to get to it. Damian Ramirez, a courtesy runner, crosses the plate as Williamson reaches, and it’s 1-0 Heights.
• Beau Bryant is at the plate now for CH, and he’s got Williamson at first, and two outs. The count is 2-0.
• Bryant walks on four straight pitches — he’s at first, Williamson at second, with two outs and Cade Mesora coming to the plate. Courtesy runner, now, comes on for Bryant.
• Mesora takes a ball, then looks at strike one.
• A 1-2 count on Mesora now, after he fouled off the third pitch to the plate. Kilgore can avoid real damage with an out here.
• EDNEY GETS IT, a third strike, as Mesora watches it cross the plate. Three outs, and Central Heights leads Kilgore, 1-0, in the middle of the first. Kilgore coming to the plate for the first time in the game.

• Heights, by the way, in black uniforms with white pinstripes, black caps, and what looks to be blue numbers on back of their jerseys. Kilgore wearing red jerseys, red numbers outlined in white, the classic red caps with the white ‘K,’ and white pants with red trim.
• Tanner Beets is up first in the Diamond ‘Dogs’ lineup. Brady Owen of Central Heights is on the mound. Beets takes a strike looking on his first pitch.
• Second one misses outside, and pitch No. 3 is hit by Beets, right back at Owen. It comes off of his shoulder, and he can’t find it, even though it’s right at his feet. Beets reaches on the error.
• Edney is up now, batting in the No. 2 hole for KHS, trying to help his own cause as the pitcher of record for the game. There’s a 1-1 count on Edney, as Beets stands about 2 yards off of first base, bouncing back and forth to the bag.
• Edney fouls off a throw to the plate, and Beets, who had the jump on Owen that time and would’ve made second, has to go back.
• Owen gets greedy, though, and tries a pick-off throw to first. It gets by Rodriguez and Beets steals second with no problem.
• Count is even now on Edney, 2-2.
• Now 3-2.
• Edney belts a ball into right field, and it’s fielded easily for the first out; Beets is now at third.
• Catcher Joseph Hendrickson steps to the plate, with an out in the books and Beets at third, the tying run. Owen’s first pitch to Hendrickson is outside, for ball one.
• Hendrickson fouls off a pair of pitches, and now is behind in the count, 1-2.
• He ties it with a swing: it’s a sac fly to center field, deep enough to plate Beets. Beets scores, and ties things up at 1-all.
• So, at the plate now for Kilgore is a young man I’ve heard a lot of positive things about: freshman Miles Applegate. Miles is ahead in the count, 3-0.
• The fourth pitch is WAAAAAY outside, and Applegate has to dodge it. It’s ball four, and he’s at first with two outs in the books, as Kolton Hale comes to the plate for the Bulldogs.
• Hale takes a high ball-three and has no strikes.
• He takes a strike looking, a little inside, but a strike, the umpire says.
• Strike two, and then ball four. Hale at first, Applegate at second, and Salvador Cervantes at the plate.
• Central Heights coach Travis Jackson decides it’s time for a meeting on the mound with Mr. Owen, and the infield joins them.
• Pretty day today; this is perfect baseball weather.
• Well, Cervantes hits a ball right at the third baseman, who throws Cervantes out at first. That ends the first inning, with the game tied at 1-all. Second inning coming up, Central Heights to the plate.

SECOND INNING

• Trapper Murdock leads off, but his ball is easily-hit, and easily fielded by the shortstop; one out.
• Dayne Sunderland also keeps the ball in the infield, thrown out by the second baseman.
• Brandon Davis comes up with two outs, and takes a ball on his first pitch. Davis has a 2-1 count on him.
• Now 2-2. One more strike by Edney and Kilgore gets an at-bat.
• And Edney strikes out Davis, looking. Kilgore coming back up.
• Here comes Jackson Tucker Phillips, “JTP.” The senior is safe after hitting the first pitch, an infield single, and then beating the throw to first.
• Kashten Parham puts the ball in play, but it’s close enough that JTP is thrown out at second; Parham reaches on the ol’ fielder’s choice.
• Kayson Brooks, with one out, is now at the plate for the ‘Dogs. And Brooks brings the crowd to its feet with an RBI triple! The ball goes all the way to the center field wall, and Parham scores. Brooks stands at second as we’re back to the top of Kilgore’s order; Tanner Beets is at the plate with one on, and one out.
• Brooks comes on to score on a passed ball, giving Kilgore a 3-1 lead!
• Beets has a 1-1 count.
• He takes a swing, and misses, which is strike two.
• After fouling off a pitch, keeping the count at 1-2, the next pitch misses everything and is ball two. A 2-2 count.
• But Beets hits the next pitch to the second baseman, for out two.
• Edney to the plate now.
• He takes the third strike looking, but Kilgore is in front, 3-1, as we head to the top of the third inning.

THIRD INNING

• Edney still on the mound as the Blue Devils come to the plate in the third. It’s Owen, the pitcher, at the plate.
• Owen has a 3-1 count now. He looks at a called strike two, then swings away and misses, strike three. And out one.
• Baker back up for Heights, and it’s ball one.
• Ball two.
• A high ball three.
• Baker shows bunt, and throws the bat, thinking it was ball four. It was a called strike one.
• He swings full-out, and misses. Strike two.
• It’s ball four, outside. Baker is at first, the only base-runner currently for the Blue Devils.
• Rodriguez to the plate, as Edney keeps Baker honest with a throw-over to first.
• To the plate now, and ball one to Rodriguez.
• It’s an RBI double for Rodriguez, a stand-up double, as Baker comes home. It’s 3-2 Kilgore now.
• Williams hits a ball to second, and it’s fielded for the out, but it did move Rodriguez to third.
• But bad news for Heights: Bryant pops up, a high pop-up to second, and it’s an out, out three. Central Heights got within a run, but trails KHS 3-2, as the game moves to the bottom of the third.
• Owen still on the mound for Heights, as Hendrickson makes his second appearance at the plate. He had a sac fly in the first inning to tie the game.
• Strike one on the first pitch to Hendrickson; he hits the second one to center field, and the center fielder makes a heck of a catch for out one.
• Applegate at the plate now, and it’s a low ball one. Second pitch is a strike that Applegate watches. Third pitch is outside, and ball two. Fourth pitch: a double.
• Hale up to bat now, with Applegate at second and one out.
• He fouls off the first pitch, but hits the second into shallow field. None of the Devils call it, and the ball hits the turf. Hale winds up at second base on the play, and Applegate gets safely to third.
• Cervantes is up with one out, and runners in scoring position. He fouls the first pitch off, backward, and into the netting. Cervantes lays down a bunt! Owen comes up to cover, and has only one play, to first, for the out. Applegate scores (4-2), and JTP is back up to bat.
• It’s strike one on Phillips, with Hale at third.
• Owen sits down Phillips on strikes and ends the inning, with the Bulldogs in front, 4-2. Off to the fourth.

FOURTH INNING

• Edney sticks around on the mound for a fourth go-round with Heights, as Mesora returns to the plate. He flies out to right, though.
• Murdock swings at the first pitch he sees, then watches strike two cross the plate. Pitch three is a ball, and so is pitch four. It’s a 2-2 count.
• He sends the next one in the gap, and legs out a double on it.
• Sunderland grounds out to second, and Davis is up with two outs and Murdock at third.
• Davis has two strikes on him.
• Edney sits him down on a strikeout (swinging) and the Bulldogs’ 4-2 lead stays intact. Headed to the bottom of the fourth.
• Parham takes ball one, but swings at strike one.
• Parham walks on five pitches, the last one very high.
• It’s Brooks up, now, and he bunts. He’s out, thrown out by Owen, but Parham is safely to second.
• Back to the top of the order: it’s Beets at the plate.
• Beets hits a ball into shallow center, and it didn’t look to be deep enough to get Parham all the way home from second. Parham proved me wrong, sliding under the tag attempt by Beau Bryant for another run! He’s safe, and it’s 5-2 Kilgore. Beets is at second, and Edney now at the plate.
• Edney has fouled off a couple of pitches, and he’s got a 2-2 count on him.
• He strikes out, and Beets is still at second with two outs, as Hendrickson returns to the plate.
• Hendrickson comes up big again, an RBI TRIPLE that scores Beets! It’s 6-2 Kilgore, as Applegate comes to the plate and — well, it’s a meeting at the mound. That may be it for Owen.
• And it is. Heights coach Travis Jackson has made a pitching change, and it’s Damion Ramirez to the mound to face Kilgore’s Miles Applegate, with two outs and Hendrickson at third.
• Applegate takes two early strikes, then watches ball one hurl by.
• Applegate flies out to right, and we go to the fifth with the Diamond ‘Dogs up 6-2.

FIFTH INNING

• No pitching change for Kilgore. It’s Edney on the mound.
• Owen might’ve came off the mound, but he’s still in the game. He’s the batter. And he’s got one strike on him.
• Owen grounds out to second base, and Logan Baker returns to the plate.
• He watches strike one, then pops up to Hendrickson for out two.
• Rodriguez, who had a double in his last appearance, takes ball one, then close, but a called ball two.
• A third pitch gets fouled off, and Edney has a 1-2 count on Rodriguez, and then another tip — the count is 2-2.
• A low ball four is called, and Rodriguez takes first base.
• Quick recap: Kilgore is up 6-2, and has two outs on Heights in the top of the fifth.
• Williamson watches ball two; it’s a 2-1 count.
• It’s 2-2 now, after a foul ball that (loudly) smacks the roof of the press box.
• Well, now it’s a 6-4 score: Williamson just hit a ball over the right-field wall, where it’s the most shallow spot of the park, but still: a two-run home run to get the Blue Devils within two.
• Bryant at the plate, as Heights is all smiles now in the third-base dugout. There’s still work to do, though. They still trail, 6-4.
• Edney sits down Bryant on strikes, and we head to the bottom of the fifth, with KHS in front 6-4.
• Kolton Hale is the first batter for the ‘Dogs in the bottom of the fifth.
• Hale’s ball is hit low, too low to the center fielder for him to get it. It’s a lead-off single.
• Cervantes follows, and with Hale at first, after a full count, he walks. Hale at second, Sal at first.
• Phillips returns to the plate, with two on, and no outs. He reaches on a fielder’s choice, as Sal is thrown out at second. With one out, Hale is at third, and JTP at first.
• Parham swings at the first pitch and misses; swings at the second, and misses; and then the third, a strikeout for Ramirez for out two.
• Brooks steps up for an at-bat, with runners at the corners.
• He hits the ball back to the pitcher, though, who jogs over to first and tosses it there for out three. We’re headed to the sixth inning, Blue Devils’ at-bat.

SIXTH INNING

• We have a new pitcher for Kilgore. It’s Kaeson Clayton.
• Clayton’s first two pitches to Tre Pinneywall are strikes, and Pinneywall is in an 0-2 hole.
• He strikes out swinging, out one in the books.
• Wow, strike one to Murdock. All of Clayton’s pitches so far have been strikes.
• I jinxed him; the next pitch was a ball.
• Murdock strikes out swinging; there’s two outs now, as Sunderland is back up.
• Strike one to Sunderland.
• A foul ball down the first-base line and out of the fencing and there’s a 1-2 count on Sunderland.
• He strikes out Sunderland! Clayton struck out the side!
• And that’s the time limit. Kilgore wins, 6-4, and that was the Bulldogs’ first win of the season. Congratulations, Kilgore!