BASEBALL / SOFTBALL PLAYOFF ROUNDUP | White Oak, Overton get game one SB wins; lots of comebacks needed for area baseball teams
Several diamond teams in the ETBlitz.com coverage area are in the first round, or as the University Interscholastic League calls it, the bi-district round, of the playoffs, and Troup and Daingerfield took it to the extreme in Longview on Thursday night in the baseball playoffs.
More on that below.
In the baseball playoffs, first-round scores – all of these from best-of-three series – Bullard topped Kilgore, 7-0 Thursday at Bullard’s new field (here’s the link to our story: BULLARD TAKES SERIES LEAD | Panthers go up 1-0 on Bulldogs; Game two Friday night at Driller); Henderson lost to Lufkin Hudson, 7-1 Thursday in Henderson; Daingerfield edged Troup, 5-4, in 10 innings Thursday in Longview; Elysian Fields beat Gladewater, 7-3, in nine innings on Thursday in Atlanta; West Rusk beat New Diana, 3-0, Thursday at Tyler Legacy; Tatum beat White Oak, 10-0, Wednesday in Marshall; and Frankston beat Overton in game one, 8-7, Thursday night in Winnsboro (here’s our story: OVERTON SLIPS TO FRANKSTON | Comeback falls short; series resumes Friday night in Winnsboro).
In the first round of the softball playoffs – again, these are best-of-three series – White Oak stayed on a roll, beating Hooks on Wednesday night in Marshall, 4-3; Henderson lost to Liberty at Lufkin Hudson in game one, 15-0; and Overton beat Bowie in Winnsboro, 8-3.
BASEBALL
Daingerfield 5, Troup 4: Playing the first game of a UIL best-of-three series, the Tigers – and the Tigers – played 10 innings. Jayden Mitchell was hit by a pitch by Troup’s Cash Hardy in the bottom of the 10th, and Isaiah Parker then walked. Weston Collard reached on a bunt single to load the bases with no outs, and then Sage Blackburn got the game-winning walk-off single to score Mitchell and give Daingerfield a 5-4 win.
The teams will meet again in Bullard Friday night at 7 p.m. for game two; Troup (20-6) will need to win that game, obviously, to force a game three, which would be Saturday back at Longview at 2 p.m. Otherwise Daingerfield (14-11) would advance to round two.
The Troup-Daingerfield winner meets either Harmony or Redwater in the second, or area, round.
Tatum 10, White Oak 0: Tatum managed a shut-out of a good Roughnecks team in Marshall on Thursday night.
Jaxen Prince had a triple and a double. Pitcher Carson Gonzalez allowed only three hits over five innings and had five strikeouts, then helped his own cause at the plate with a double, a single and an RBI in the win.
Dustin Henigan had two singles and 2 RBI, and Kody Hines also had two singles. Ashby Anthony, Brody Downs and Kohen Kiefer all each had an RBI.
The series resumes in Marshall Friday at 7 p.m. with game two. White Oak would need to win to force game three, otherwise Tatum wins the series.
The winner moves on to round two to face either Queen City or Winnsboro.
Lufkin Hudson 7, Henderson 1: The Henderson Lions faced off against District 18-4A champ Lufkin Hudson in game one of the best-of-three series in Henderson, hoping to get off to a great start, but it just didn’t happen.
It could have: coach Jordan O’Bannon’s Lions had the bases loaded four times, but were only able to plate one run in the game.
Henderson’s Kayne Brantley and Conner Fabbiani each went 2-for-4. The Lions scored their only run of the game in the bottom of the fourth. Dashawn Jackson, who had reached on a double, scored when J.T. Howard laid down a bunt and brought him home.
Brian Biggs took the loss for the Lions – he surrendered eight hits and no walks, and struck out two in five innings pitched.
The Hudson-Henderson series winner will face either Vidor or Hardin-Jefferson in round two.
SOFTBALL
White Oak 4, Hooks 3: Larkin Daniels mows more than a Husqvarna.
Daniels has had 43 strikeouts in her last three games, racking up 14 more in a 4-3 win over Hooks in game one of the best-of-three series between White Oak and Hooks on Wednesday night in Marshall, moved back a night from the original plans due to what had been expected bad weather on Thursday.
Daniels allowed three runs on five hits, and five walks, but protected the lead.
And she had enough offense. Daniels hit a double and the Ladynecks got two hits each from Andee Bridges, Addison McLanahan and Graycen Sipes, leading to White Oak’s 15th straight win.
If they get a 16th straight, they’re off to round three, the regional quarterfinals, to play either Jefferson or Mount Vernon.
Overton 8, Bowie 3: Mason Fenter had a double, an single and 3 RBI, and Halle Mayfield had a double, a single and an RBI in this Lady Mustangs’ game one win in Winnsboro.
The series continues there Friday night. The winner faces either Cross Roads or Alba-Golden in the area round next week.
Lila Gurley and Avery Smith each had a double, and Kasha Smith had two singles. Siann LeVoy, Kayla Nobles and Smith each had an RBI.
On the mound, Kelsey Vaught got the win, a seven-strikeout performance.
Liberty 15, Henderson 0: Liberty won its 31st game of the season by jumping out to a huge lead – 9-0 – in the first inning and never looking back, unfortunately for the Henderson Lady Lions and their fans.
But it’s a series, a best-of-three series, and it resumes in Lufkin Friday afternoon at 5 p.m.
Henderson had two hits in the game, by Addy Davis and Addy Standley.
Bailee Slack had two triples and 3 RBI for Liberty.