THE FLYOVER | A look back at last weekend’s high school baseball, and what’s coming this week

Tatum High School baseball is looking to get hot.

And they’re doing it.

The Eagles won their fourth straight game on Friday night, this time dealing Arp a 17-6 loss in District 16-3A play, as Tatum looks to defend last year’s district championship by winning another.

They defeated Arp twice this past week: an 11-0 win in Tatum, then Friday’s win at Arp, and the Eagles will hit the road Tuesday to face Zac Spears and his Gladewater Bears. That’ll carry a 4:30 p.m. start for a junior varsity game, and varsity will follow. The two will rematch on Friday in Tatum, also with JV at 4:30, then varsity.

Against Arp, Tatum scored 17 runs on seven hits, and Arp made some defensive mistakes (nine errors). Tatum also had two errors.

At the plate for Tatum, Cooper Whiteus went 3-for-3 with a double and a triple, 2 RBI and scored four runs; Dustin Henigan went 2-for-5, including a double, with an RBI; Kody Hines had a double, 4 RBI and scored twice; and Grant Adcock, Colt Bullard and Cayden Tatum each had a hit, and Tatum added an RBI.

Jaxen Prince scored three times and had 2 RBI. Prince, Bullard and Hines all each had a stolen base.

Tristin Berry went 5 2/3 innings for the Eagles, striking out eight and allowing two runs (neither earned) on four hits, and a walk. Logan Cansler pitched an inning, allowing four earned runs on three walks and no hits, and had a strikeout.

Tatum is 10-4 on the season, and 3-0 in district play.

Arp had seven hits, as well: AB Martin had two of them and 3 RBI; Will Sanford had a hit, and 2 RBI; and Layton Shelburne, Matthew Lowe, Caden Cliborn and Brody McDow all each had a hit.

Five different pitchers took the mound for the Tigers. Isaac Poe went three innings, allowing five runs on two hits, walked five and had two strikeouts. McDow went an inning, allowing three runs on a hit, and two walks. Cliborn also threw an inning and allowed four runs on one hit, and struck out three. Landon Smith went an inning: two hits and two walks allowed, and three runs, all earned. And Brendon Dark gave up a hit and two runs, and walked one.

Arp is 4-9-1 overall, now, and 0-3 in district play. They’ll host White Oak on Tuesday, starting with the JV game at 4:30 p.m., and then play at White Oak on Friday, also starting at 4:30 with a JV game.

Kilgore 2, Pine Tree 1: Don’t look now, but coach Zach Hubbard’s Kilgore High School Bulldogs are starting to put it together.

After dealing Pine Tree’s Pirates a 15-3 loss on Tuesday night in Longview, the Diamond ‘Dogs completed the sweep at home at Driller Park on Friday, as Kolton Hale’s walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the eighth scored Kayson Brooks and put the Bulldogs over PT again, this time 2-1.

The win was just Kilgore’s fifth this season – they’re 5-12 – but what matters this one: 2-1, which is the ‘Dogs’ district record.

And Kilgore hasn’t lost since the third game of the Jasper Tournament; they beat Vidor, then tied with Melissa to finish the tournament, so they’re on a four-game non-losing streak, and have won three of their last four.

Kilgore faces Henderson twice this week: at Driller on Tuesday, starting with junior varsity at 4:30 p.m., and then visits the Lions on Friday, also a 4:30 JV start with varsity afterward.

Against Pine Tree, Hale, Brooks, Cason Edney, Miles Applegate and Jackson Tucker Phillips all each had a hit; Brooks and Applegate each had a double.

The Pirates scored in the top of the first inning. P. Hightree singled, went to second on a pair of walks issued to C. Croft and Matt Cates, and then scored on a passed ball (1-0 PT).

Edney got a hit to start Kilgore’s second inning, went to second on a sacrifice hit by Brayden Williams, and then scored on a hit by JTP (1-1).

The Pirates had their chance to win it in the top of the eighth. B. Marsh singled to left, but couldn’t get back in time when Croft hit a line drive to Hale at shortstop for Kilgore. Both Croft and Marsh were out, and then Cates flied out to Williams to end the PT half of the inning.

In the bottom half of the eighth, Kilgore would finish it.

With an out in the books, Brooks doubled do center, and came around to score on Hale’s game-winning single.

Rafello Adamez went seven innings for the ‘Dogs, allowing four hits but no runs and no walks, and struck out four. Salvador Cervantes came on in relief for the one inning, allowing one run on two hits, walked three and struck out two.

Z. Duhart went the distance for Pine Tree (3-7, 1-3), throwing 7 2/3 innings. He gave up both runs, one of them earned, on five hits, walked two and struck out three.

Spring Hill 16, Henderson 0: Spring Hill’s Panthers were the home team for this one Friday night, scored a pair of runs in the bottom half of the first inning, and then blew the game open in the second, with nine more.

The exclamation point of the nine runs in the second was a three-run home run by the Panthers’ Mason Barnes. He also got the win on the mound, going four innings and notching four strikeouts.

Teammate Cayden Rhodes went 2-for-4 with 4 RBI.

Henderson pitchers Caden Foster and David Jimerson combined for three strikeouts in the run-rule shortened game. Manning Bradley had the only hit for the Lions, who are now 8-9 overall, and 1-2 in District 16-4A.

Henderson plays at Kilgore on Tuesday, beginning with junior varsity at 4:30 p.m., then hosts the Diamond ‘Dogs on Friday in that same format.

Gilmer 12, Chapel Hill 1: The Buckeyes swept Chapel Hill last week, as well, with one close win (3-2 on Tuesday) and then this run-rule game on Friday.

Aden Vineyard had three singles and scored twice for the Buckeyes, who have won four straight and are 9-5 overall, and 2-1 in 16-4A.

Ryder Lange had two singles and 2 RBI, and on the mound went four innings and had four strikeouts. Dillon Griffin had two singles and an RBI. Brayden Pate had a single and an RBI and scored three times.

The Buckeyes will play at Pine Tree on Tuesday, starting with a JV game at 4:30, and then host the Pirates on Friday night.

Troup 6, Gladewater 4: These two District 16-3A teams split the two-game series this week, with Gladewater taking a 6-0 win at Troup on Tuesday, then Troup returning the favor, escaping Gladewater with a 6-4 win on Friday night.

This week, Troup (11-5 overall, 2-1 in district play) will play at West Rusk – JV plays at 4:30, with varsity afterward, and then host the Raiders on Friday. Gladewater (10-5, 1-2) will host Tatum on Tuesday night, starting with JV at 4:30, and then visit the Eagles on Friday.

Hughes Springs 13, West Rusk 3: The West Rusk Raiders had open dates both Tuesday and Friday this past week in District 16-3A, but stepped out of district for a road game at Hughes Springs on Friday.

Hughes Springs’ E.J. Searcy had a big night: a home run, a single and 4 RBI in the win for the Mustangs.

For West Rusk, Jase Reasoner had a double, two singles and an RBI. Caiden Landon and Jaxon Johnson each had two singles. Troy Hunley had a single and 2 RBI.

On the mound, Cole Jackson went three innings and finished with four strikeouts and three walks. Reasoner walked three.

The Raiders are back in district play this week, as mentioned above, at home Tuesday against Troup, then at Troup on Friday. West Rusk is 6-7 overall this season, and 1-0 in district.

Overton 9, Carlisle 2: The Mustangs, who were already leading, scored six runs in the seventh inning to finish off rival Carlisle on Friday night.

Overton is 14-4 on the season, 2-0 in District 19-2A, and has won four straight games, the last two over Carlisle.

The Mustangs play at Harleton on Tuesday, starting with JV at 4:30, then host Harleton on Friday.

Rylan Holleman, a recent Whataburger / ETBlitz.com Player of the Week, is at it again: two home runs Friday against Carlisle, 5 RBI, a part of eight hits for the Mustangs.

Also at the plate for Overton: Braxton Harper went 2-for-2, and Joey Zalman, Mason Rowe, Brody Brown and Jayden Edwards each had a hit. Rowe and Brown each had a double, and Rowe, Harper and Zalman each had an RBI.

Holleman had three stolen bases; Harper and Bryce Still each had one.

On top of everything else, Holleman pitched; he went five innings, allowing one run (earned) on six hits, walked four and struck out four. Harper pitched two innings, and allowed one run, earned, on one hit, walked three and had two strikeouts.

Union Hill 9, Leverett’s Chapel 2: Union Hill jumped out to a 3-0 lead and was able to hold off a scrappy LC Lions squad that actually had more hits: six, to Union Hill’s four. LC just made too many mistakes, six errors.

Ethan Williams had two hits for the Lions, including a double, and Ethan Kirk had a hit. Carson Ford went 3-for-3, all singles. Ford also had three stolen bases, and Williams and Ethan Vaden each had one.

Ford threw 5 2/3 innings, allowing nine runs (only three of them earned) on just three hits. Ford had 11 strikeouts and walked three.

The Lions host Avery in a non-district game on Tuesday at 4 p.m., and then have an open date on Friday.