UPDATE on BASEBALL & SOFTBALL | Make-up dates for Friday’s misses; this will be updated throughout the day with changes
EDITOR’S NOTE: As of 3 p.m., there are no real changes to this original story. If things change, we’ll update.
The simple answer to Friday’s question of “Who won?” is the weather.
Due to the thunderstorms and just flat-out miserable weather across not just the East Texas region, but pretty much the entire south the last 24, 36 hours, very few of the high school baseball and softball games that were scheduled to be played were actually able to be played.
One was, that we know of: Tatum and Troup, in baseball.
But there are more important things sometimes, like safety, and as a result, all of them will likely be squeezed in in the upcoming days.
We’re working on a list now, and we’ll add to that list here as it gets complete for the teams in the ETBlitz.com coverage area. And to reiterate those programs, that includes – in alphabetical order — Arp, Gilmer, Gladewater, Henderson, Kilgore, Leverett’s Chapel, Overton, Sabine, Tatum, Troup, West Rusk, and White Oak, in addition to Kilgore College.
A couple of things to note: both Arp programs, baseball and softball, already had open dates on Friday and don’t have anything to re-schedule. And Leverett’s Chapel – who doesn’t have a softball program – announced early on Friday afternoon that its game against Avery had been canceled.
As for Kilgore College softball, coach Amber Williams and the Rangers won’t even fight the rain on Saturday. They’ll be back in action Monday at home, at The Ballpark at KC Commons, for a doubleheader against Bossier Parish at 1 p.m. and at 3:30 p.m. Then they visit Northeast Texas Community College (in Mount Pleasant) for a doubleheader on Wednesday, also beginning at 1 p.m.
Now, moving on to the high school baseball and softball district games that will need to be played.
If we don’t mention the program, or team, you’re looking for, it’s because we haven’t heard from them yet, or they haven’t made a decision just yet on when their game will be made up. We will update it right here as soon as we have that information.
BASEBALL
Troup 7, Tatum 6: Troup scored six runs in the top of the third inning, holding off the Eagles.
With the loss, coach Dustin Russell’s Eagles 14-6 overall, 7-2 in district. They’ll be off from district play this coming week; they have an open date, period, on Tuesday, but they’re playing a non-district game at home against Brook Hill on Friday – junior varsity will play Brook Hill at 4:30 p.m., and then varsity at 7.
Troup (15-6, 5-2) got a double and a 2-for-3 night from Logan Lockey, who also had 2 RBI. Joshua Childress went 2-for-4 with an RBI. And James Pierce had a hit and an RBI. Caden Graves and Kash Hardy each had two hits, and Carter Graves and Hayden Huml each had one.
Tatum had seven hits off Carson Davenport and two off Kash Hardy – we don’t have Tatum’s complete stats at this time.
Troup will host White Oak on Tuesday; the JV game begins at 4:30, followed by varsity. The Tigers visit White Oak on Friday, in that same format.
District 16-3A
White Oak-West Rusk: The Roughnecks (16-3-1 overall, 6-1 in district) were to host West Rusk (7-11-1, 2-4 in district) in another varsity-only night on Friday.
Didn’t happen.
The plan is to play on Saturday (today) at Tatum, varsity only, at 5 p.m.
Sabine-Gladewater: Coach Zac Spears’ Bears (12-8 overall, 3-5 in 16-3A) were to make the short trip to Liberty City for a 4 p.m. varsity-only date; Sabine was to try for its first win of the season (0-17, 0-6).
Instead, the game was postponed, although the Sabine Cardinals Athletics Facebook page has a statement that the plan is to reschedule both baseball and softball games against Gladewater on Monday. Times have not been announced.
District 16-4A
Kilgore: The Bulldogs were scheduled to play at Chapel Hill on Friday night.
That game couldn’t be played, but it’s re-scheduled for Monday at 6:30 p.m., once again at Chapel Hill.
The Diamond ‘Dogs, coached by Zach Hubbard in his first season, have won four in a row in District 16-4A and six of their last seven. They’re 6-2 in district play and 9-12 overall, third in the standings. Chapel Hill and Cumberland Academy are tied at 0-8 in district. Kilgore beat Chapel Hill, 11-2, on Tuesday. We’ll update all the standings for all the teams in the ETBlitz coverage area after Tuesday’s round of games is complete.
Henderson: The Lions were to host Pine Tree Friday night. That didn’t happen, but they’re tentatively set to host the Pirates at 3 p.m. today, as weather allows. At this writing at 9:30 a.m., storms are moving across East Texas.
Henderson is 11-9 on the season, and 5-3 in 16-4A; Pine Tree is 4-10 on the season, and 2-6 in district play.
Gilmer: The Buckeyes were to visit Cumberland Academy in Tyler on Friday, but it didn’t happen, and there has been no update. When we have one, it’ll post here.
As mentioned, CA is 0-8 in district play. The Buckeyes are 11-8 overall, and 4-4 in 16-4A.
District 19-2A
Overton: The Mustangs (15-5, 5-2) are scheduled to play at Ore City on Saturday (today) at 7:30 p.m.
Leverett’s Chapel: As mentioned, the school’s Facebook page announced earlier this afternoon that the baseball game Friday had been canceled due to weather. No rescheduling announcement was made. The Lions are 2-5-1 overall and 0-1 in district play.
SOFTBALL
District 16-4A
Henderson: The Lady Lions (17-6-1 overall, 5-2 in District 16-4A) were to host Pine Tree (8-14-1, 4-4 in district), but had to postpone. No plan has been made evident just yet; we’re efforting here. This may be one where a decision hasn’t yet been made.
Kilgore: The Lady Bulldogs (3-15 overall, 1-6 in district) were to play at Chapel Hill (1-14, 0-8) on Friday, but obviously, that plan was scrapped. Instead, coach Gabby Moore’s Lady ‘Dogs will try again on Monday at 6:30. That’ll mean games on back-to-back nights, both on the road: Kilgore is scheduled to go to Pine Tree (8-14-1 overall, 4-4 in district) on Tuesday.
Gilmer: Gilmer, who has won 12 of its last 13, was to step out of district – weather permitting – to host Mineola (12-8-2) Friday.
The weather said no.
The game was canceled, The Lady Buckeyes will host Chapel Hill on Tuesday, as planned.
District 16-3A
Tatum-Troup: These two were to play in Tatum (7-10, 4-5 in district), varsity only, Friday night. Troup is 19-5 overall and 7-1 in district and had won seven straight. We haven’t heard whether or not the game was played; we’ll have an update shortly.
White Oak-West Rusk: The Lady’Necks (11-9-1, 5-2 in district) were to host West Rusk (0-6 in district) Friday; instead, they’ll try again on Monday, although we haven’t been made aware of a start time.
Sabine-Gladewater: As with baseball, the Sabine athletics Facebook page cited a plan to make this game up on Monday. That hasn’t been updated; we’ll update here when that plan is set. Sabine’s Lady Cardinals are 0-11, and 0-8 in 16-3A. Gladewater is 8-12-1 and 4-5 in district.
District 19-2A
Before all the weather even really got to the area on Friday, Overton (13-8-1, 9-0 in district play) postponed its game at Ore City to Saturday. The Lady Mustangs will play Ore City (5-14-1, 3-6 in district) on Saturday IN HALLSVILLE at 6 p.m., varsity-only. So far, we’ve heard no changes to this plan.
