SPRING HILL LEAVES DRILLER WITH WIN | Both Kilgore, Panthers headed for playoffs regardless
Carson Tidwell drove in two runs and Spring Hill right-hander Cayden Rhodes pitched his second shutout of the season against Kilgore as the Panthers spilled the Bulldogs 4-0 on Tuesday night at Driller Park.
The win allowed Spring Hill to stay even with Carthage in the District 17-4A baseball standings, going into the final game of the regular season this Friday night.
With the Panthers win and Carthage’s 13-0 decision against Center in five innings, the teams are tied with 12-2 district records, although Spring Hill beat the Dawgs in two of their three games played against each other.
Kilgore is 8-6 and in third place in the district standings, and 16-10-1 for the season. Kilgore can’t move up from third or fall from third in the regular season finale at Spring Hill on Friday.
“Still need to win again on Friday,” said Panthers coach Garrett Methvin, following the contest, “to wrap up the district. (Pitcher) Cayden (Rhodes) was able to control his pitches, and we were able to get a few hits and score some runs.”
Rhodes went the distance for the second time this season against Kilgore, allowing just five hits. He struck out six and walked one for his eighth (8-1) win of the season.
“We put some runs on the board and I got it done,” Rhodes added. He kept the Bulldog hitters off balance with a good mix of his fastball and slider.
The Panthers scored first with an unearned run in the third inning, then added two in the fourth and one in the fifth to secure their 19th win of the season (19-8-1).
In the third inning, Mason Barnes, the Spring Hill second baseman, coaxed a walk from Kilgore starting pitcher Kolton Hale, and then moved from first to third before scoring with two outs on Kilgore’s lone error of the contest.
The Panthers then added two runs in the fourth inning, making the most of singles by Grant Burton, Josiah Mackey, Carson Tidwell and Barnes. Burton scored on Tidwell’s one-out single to right centerfield, and D.K. Johnson, the courtesy-runner for Mackey, scored on Barnes’ single to left field, giving Rhodes and the Panthers a three-run cushion.
Tidwell collected his second RBI of the contest when Hale walked him with the basepaths juiced with Spring Hill runners as the Panthers added their fourth run of the contest in the top of the fifth inning as Cayson Wilkins scored.
Wilkins led off the inning with a double to left field and with two outs, Mackey and Tidwell walked to load the bases.
Spring Hill left fielder Travis Allen handled all three fly outs by Todd House, Tanner Beets and Tate Truman in the bottom of the first inning. Rhodes threw only five pitches and Allen hardly had to move to retire the side. Allen finished with six putouts.
Following Mackey, who led the way for the Panthers with two hits, were Wilkins, Burton, Tidwell, Barnes and Chandler Crawford.
Rhodes retired the Kilgore in order in the first, third and fourth innings. The only hit the Dogs had through the first four innings was a leadoff single by Colt Bullard in the second.
Hale worked 4-2/3 innings. He struck out six, but walked five. Cason Edney pitched 1-2/3 innings in relief, allowing one hit and striking out one.
Joseph Hendrickson led Kilgore’s offense, going 2-for-3. Also with hits for the Dogs were Truman, Bullard, and Cade Cox. Only once did the Bulldogs have more than one hit in an inning and that came with two outs in the fifth as Hendrickson and Cox delivered back-to-back singles to center field.
The Panthers and Bulldogs, both already assured playoff berths, are scheduled to close the regular-season on Friday at Panther Field in Longview with a 7 p.m. start.