LIONS PULL SURPRISE AT DRILLER | Escape with 5-3 win; rematch tonight in Henderson

Henderson’s Kayne Brantley went 3-for-4 and Dashawn Jones drove in three runs with a couple of hits as the Lions roared to a 5-3 victory over Kilgore at historic Driller Park on Thursday evening.

In an earlier shutout loss to the Bulldogs, the Lions managed only two hits and lost 3-0. Not this time, though. They more than made up for it with nine hits, winning their fourth District 17-4A contest (4-6) and improving to 10-12-2.

The loss drops Kilgore to 7-3 and 15-7-1, respectively, going into tonight’s 7 p.m. game in Henderson.

Joining Brantley and Jones with hits for the Lions were Conner Fabbiani, Aden Butler, Caden Foster and J.T. Howard.

Lefty Brian Biggs started and went five innings for his fifth win (5-3) of the season, scattering eight hits. He allowed two runs, only one earned, striking out five and walking three.

Caden Foster came in in relief to work the final two innings, giving up a run on four hits.

Cason Edney, working in relief of Colt Bullard, suffered the loss on the mound for the Diamond Dogs. He gave up three runs on five hits, struck out four and walked two.

The Lions sent seven batters to the plate and scored a run in the top of the first inning off Kilgore starting pitcher Colt Bullard. They did it with a leadoff single by Fabbiani, a bunt, which Brantley beat out, and a couple of errors in the Kilgore infield. 

Henderson added on with a run in the second, getting a leadoff double by Foster, a couple of groundball outs, a couple of walks and the Bulldogs’ third error of the contest scored the Lions’ first baseman.

Todd House, who had three hits and scored twice for the ‘Dogs, led off the bottom of the third with a double to left field and scored on an infield error that allowed Tanner Beets to reach base. Bullard delivered a one-out single to left field to knot the score at 2-2.

Joining House with multiple hits for the Driller Boys were Tanner Beets, Colt Bullard and Cason Edney with two each. Tate Truman, Jordan Pierce and Joseph Hendrickson each contributed a hit.

The Lions pushed across two more runs in the top of the fourth inning off Edney, who retired the first two batters he faced. A couple of back-to-back singles by Brantley and Butler and a walk to Macen Jones set the stage for  Jackson’s two-run double.

Henderson tacked on an insurance run in the fifth as Howard reached on an error and scored on Brantley’s third hit of the contest.

Kilgore touched Lions’ reliever Foster for a run in the sixth with a double by House and an RBI single by Bullard to get back to within two runs, but could get no closer.

Henderson stranded a dozen baserunners, eight of those were in scoring position. The Bulldogs left 14 on base, also eight in scoring position.