Kilgore’s dugout not too long before the first pitch in Bullard Wednesday night. (Photo by MITCH LUCAS – ETBLITZ.COM)
Dang it, I’m a minute late!
“Technical difficulties” got me. Pretty bad that I got the “not allowed to log in” to my own website message.
So Kilgore went 1-2-3 in the top of the first, after the game started AT 6:53, SEVEN MINUTES EARLY. The Panthers’ Ben Coke led off the game with a single, and is now standing at third, the only base-runner of the game so far.
Coke scores on a wild pitch. 1-0 Bullard with one out. David Wilson is at bat with a full count on him.
The new facilities at Bullard are impressive, and they should be. Voters passed a bond issue in 2022 that covered $21 million for a new athletic complex (the baseball stadium, softball stadium, and a 12 tennis courts) and a new middle school ($83 million). The middle school is still under construction; it’s much more elaborate. But the baseball stadium is nothing short of — immaculate. Can I use that word for baseball? Gosh, it’s nice.
Wilson got a single, stands at first, and now there’s two outs. Jachin Salas is up to bat, the Bullard right fielder. We’re in the bottom of the first, with the Panthers up, 1-0.
Salas gets a single, too — that’s three singles for the Panthers in this first inning. There’s two on, Wilson at second, Salas at first. Breeze circling around. Runners advance on a high pitch off of the catcher’s glove, or the umpire’s pads, not sure which. A ball, either way.
A fair ball, another single, brings home Wilson to make it 2-0 Bullard. Salas now at third. Reed Overbeck is at the plate now with two outs and runners at the corners.
He’s hit by a pitch, and the bases are loaded, still with two outs.
Courtesy runner on for Overbeck.
Jackson Holt at the plate. Some pressure here. He’s got a ball and a strike.
Now a 2-2 count. But he flies out to Kilgore’s Cade Henry in center field. Bulldogs give up two runs, trail 2-0, but with the bases loaded, and getting out of that jam, it could’ve been a lot worse. The Diamond ‘Dogs head to the top of the second, and their second at-bat of the game, down 2-0.
Kilgore head coach Eugene Lafitte strides to third base. Why do we call them a “coach” in high school, but a “manager” in the rest of baseball?
Colt Bullard is out trying to leg out a hit to shallow left field. Cason Edney up to bat.
Edney flies out to right.
Jordan Pierce, Kilgore’s right fielder, is up, and he pops up, and out. Another quick 1-2-3 for the Bulldogs. Going to be tough like this.
Wilson is Bullard’s pitcher tonight, and he’s on his way to Oklahoma, as in “OU.” Todd House, if I didn’t mention it, is the pitcher of record for the Bulldogs.
We’ve got some mouth, incidentally, in the crowd up here; like a LOT of it, some Bullard students. And they’re pretty loud.
A hit to left field for the Panthers’ lead-off, and Ben Coke, the lead-off batter, is back up.
House runs a 3-0 count on Coke, who is showing bunt.
He walks. Runners at second and first.
Batter is out on a fielder’s choice, basically a sacrifice, as both runners just move up.
Wilson hits a sacrifice fly and puts the Panthers up, 3-0.
A hit batsman, and now Salas is up with two outs. But Henry makes a running catch, and again limits the damage. One run is all Bullard gets, and we’re off to the top of the third. Kilgore needs some offense.
While I’m thinking about it, between innings, good luck to all of the track & field athletes from the ETBlitz coverage area competing Thursday (or when the weather allows) in the UIL State Track & Field Championships at the University of Texas in Austin.
Kilgore has no offensive movement, unfortunately for the Bulldogs and their fans, in the top of the third, and we’re in the bottom of the inning now.
Wait just a minute…
Kilgore shuts out Bullard in the bottom of the third. Cason Edney makes the final two catches and keeps the Panthers off the base path. To the top of the fourth.
This game is within reach; Kilgore needs to string together some hits.
Back to the top of the order with Todd House leading off.
The loudmouthing in the stands has gotten worse, as one of the knuckleheads called a Kilgore player a loser. Uncalled for and the Kilgore fans wouldn’t have it. Good for them.
Bullard students can support their team, have every right to. But a lot of the screaming and hollering has NOT been positive. Thanks to the Bullard parent who came up and tried to settle things down, as well.
Calling on Kilgore fans planning on being at Driller Park for game two on Friday night to come out and be kind to the Bullard fans — and be LOUD, RESPECTFUL, and POSITIVE, how ’bout?
Kilgore still trails 3-0, in the bottom of the fourth, by the way.
Not now. An RBI double by Dylan Malone changes that, and makes it 4-0 Bullard, with Wilson at the plate.
Wilson hits the ball right to Tanner Beets at second, who flips the ball to Colt Bullard at first for the easy out, the first of the inning, though. Malone stands at third. Chase Randall up to bat for the Panthers.
Randall hits the ball to the left-center wall, an RBI double, and Malone scores (5-0 Bullard).
Salas is up to bat for the 9,565th time in this game. Not really.
It’s more like his third. It just feels like many, many, many more.
House, who was undefeated on the mound (2-0) coming into this game, by the way, comes off the mound and Beets moves on. Beets is 3-1 this season.
A hit gets into left field and brings home another run. It’s 6-0 Bullard, with two outs.
Another fast inning for Kilgore in the fifth. No base runners. Bullard now in the bottom of the inning, Beets still pitching.
I could really go for Whataburger right now. Like NOW. Like ANYTHING from there.
Run scores on a passed ball, and Kilgore trails now 7-0.
This group to my right thinks it’s a one-game series.
Apparently, I’m a moron: can someone tells me what “left-right, left-right, left-right” means in terms of an at-bat?
Tate Truman comes over from third base to pitch now for Kilgore, in the bottom of the sixth.
Truman and the Bulldogs’ defense retire Chase Randall, then Salas. Truman gets ahead of the count on Dylan Fowler, throws a ball, and then Fowler hits the ball into right, where Pierce makes the catch. No runs, no hits, no errors, and Kilgore comes up for its at-bat in the top of the seventh.
With two outs, Truman gets a double to center field, breaks up Wilson’s no-hitter, but the game ends on a strikeout, and Bullard takes game one, 7-0.
The series resumes at Kilgore’s Driller Park Friday at 6 p.m, a best-of-three. Kilgore now would have to win game two to force a third game. Joe Hale will have our game story online later.
