Whiteoak Wildcats move on to the district semifinals

Thursday (May 21) the No. 7 seeded Whiteoak Wildcats won their Division VII SE District Quarterfinal game against the No. 10 seeded Miller Falcons in five innings by a 10-0 score at Whiteoak High School, advancing them to the semifinal round next week. 

Whiteoak (11-16) scored three runs in the bottom of the first, beginning with a lead-off home run by Christian Hite for the 1-0 lead. Then, a single by Abe Flader, followed by a steal, put him at second base. Lucas Pollard followed with an RBI double to score Flader for a two-run advantage. 

After two outs were recorded, Pollard scored a run off an RBI base hit by Jacob Kiley for the 3-0 lead. 

In the third inning, the Wildcats added two runs with Flader having a one-out walk, and after the second out was recorded, Jonah Michael and Caden Butler each forced a walk to load the bases. A single by Kiley plated two runs as Flader and Michael rounded the bases for a 5-0 lead. 

The bottom of the fourth inning saw Izayah Clift hit a single to lead off what became a four-run inning for Whiteoak. Next was Hite hitting a single, and with one out the bases were loaded with a single by Pollard. 

Clift and Hite scored runs when Michael smashed a double for two RBI, then later in the inning Michael scored off an RBI groundout by Butler for a nine-run Whiteoak lead. 

The game ended with Gabe Michael scoring a run (he reached the bases with a leadoff single) as Pollard had the game-ending base hit for the run-rule victory. 

WHS totaled 13 hits and five walks. 

Hite finished 3-for-4 with two runs, a home run, one RBI and a steal. Pollard was also 3-for-4 as he also collected two runs, a double and three RBI. 

Kiley finished his strong game at 2-for-3 with four RBI. 

Flader finished 1-for-2 with two runs, two walks and two steals. Jonah Michael was 1-for-2 with two runs, a double, two RBI and a walk. Butler was 1-for-2 with a walk and a steal.

Gabe Michael ended the win with a 1-for-3 day at the plate with one run and a steal. Clift was 1-for-3 with a run. 

Clift was also the winning pitcher as he threw all five innings, allowing no runs on two hits and no walks with nine strikeouts. He is now 5-3 on the season, and he faced 18 batters in the win over Miller. Clift, a junior, had two strikeouts in the first inning, followed with two more in the second, one in the third, one in the fourth, and finished the game by striking out all three batters he faced, including ending the game on a called third strike. 

The win moves Whiteoak to an overall record of 11-16. Miller finished the season at 4-14. 

Next for No. 7 seeded Whiteoak is a Division VII SE District semifinal game on Wednesday, May 27 against the No. 2 seeded South Webster Jeeps (15-10) at Logan High School with a 2 p.m. start. 

BOX SCORE
MHS    000 00x x — 0 2 0
WHS    302 41x x — 10 13 1