‘DOGS SLIP TO FARMERS | Whataburger Oil Belt continues today (KHS recap, gallery inside)
It certainly wasn’t the way the Kilgore Bulldogs wanted to get their portion of the 2024 Whataburger Oil Belt Classic tournament started, a loss to Farmersville on Thursday night, the first night of the event.
But the Diamond’ Dogs still have a chance to have a good showing in the 59th playing of the event, one of the most prestigious high school baseball tournaments in the entire state.
Farmersville’s Kaden Johnson delivered four RBI and scored another run himself as the Farmers closed out the opening day of the Whataburger Oil Belt Baseball Tournament with an 11-3 victory over homestanding Kilgore at historic Driller Park on a cold, rainy Thursday night.
The Farmersville third baseman was carrying the load for the bottom third of the batting order in the Farmers second win of the day, following a 13-1 decision against Sabine earlier.
In other pool-play games, New Diana beat Harmony 3-2, Central Heights blanked Harmony 1-0, and spilled Hardin Jefferson 15-3.
Farmersville batted around, scoring six runs on three hits in the first inning off Kilgore starting pitcher Kolton Hale.
If that wasn’t bad enough, they added five runs in the second, off reliever Salvador Cervantes.
Lefty Collin Berry went the three-inning distance on the mound, improving to 1-1 for the season for Farmersville. He limited the Bulldogs to just two hits, singles by Cason Edney in the first inning, and Tate Truman in the third.
Berry struck out four, walked three and hit two Bulldog batters.
Brayden Malone and Berry opened with back-to-back singles before Brady Gray drew a walk proceeding a two-run double by Mason Erwin to get things going in the top of the first inning.
Bases-loaded walks then scored Gray and Erwin, and the final two runs of the inning crossed as Johnson, the Farmers’ third baseman, was caught in a run-down between first and second base.
Kilgore, though, answered with three runs of its own in the bottom of the first as a Truman sacrifice fly plated Jordan Pierce. Colt Bullard and Joseph Hendrickson both reached base by being hit by pitches and scored on an error, to trim the Farmers’ early lead to three runs.
Farmersville greeted Cervantes, the second of three Kilgore pitchers in the contest, with three hits and five more runs. The big blow of the inning was Johnson’s bases-loaded three-run double. Johnson eventually crossed on a Kilgore fielding error.
The top third of the Farmersville batting order (Malone, Berry and Gray) accounted for five runs on five hits.
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Kilgore’s dugout tries to get a rally going. (Photo by DENNIS JACOBS – ETBLITZ.COM)
Fans bundled up during Kilgore-Farmersville Monday night. (Photo by DENNIS JACOBS – ETBLITZ.COM)
Kilgore’s Tate Truman (center) looks for an opening to possibly steal a base. (Photo by DENNIS JACOBS – ETBLITZ.COM)
Kolton Hale (1) gets ready to deliver a pitch to the mound. (Photo by DENNIS JACOBS – ETBLITZ.COM)
Too bad, but when you lose a winner, that is what happens
I would say it figures your name would be “Karen.”
In fact, I AM saying that.
Goodbye, Karen. And good luck this season to you and your Farmers, in your future endeavors.