Wildcats, Manchester extra-inning game called due to darkness; will continue game April 9

MOWRYSTOWN — The Whiteoak Wildcats made a comeback in the seventh inning, tying the game at 3-3 against Southern Hills Athletic Conference foe, the Manchester Greyhounds on Tuesday (April 1). The game went into extra innings, where it still stands as the game was called due to darkness.

The two teams are now scheduled to continue the SHAC game on Wednesday, April 9 at WHS (weather permitting), where it will be the start of the top of the ninth inning with Manchester at the plate at Whiteoak High School.

“I was proud of our kids,” Whiteoak heard coach Chris Veidt said. “We worked out of some jams, and the chips were down there with two outs in the seventh. We did what we needed to do to win, and that's really what matters.

“It was kind of a crazy game. You look at it, it’s a 3-3 game and going to the ninth, and you think that it's a pitcher’s duel, which it was, but both teams could have played a little bit better defense."

On Tuesday, the bottom of the first saw WHS be the first to score for a 1-0 lead with Abraham Flader leading off the WHS half of the inning with a walk. Next, he stole second and third bases, and with one out scored a run off a base hit from Izayah Clift.

Manchester tied the score when Bryce Young scored the first run for MHS in the top of the third inning. He reached the bases on a single, stole second base and scored on an outfield error for the 1-1 tied score.

Manchester took the lead at 2-1 when Clayton Colvin scored a run in the top of the fifth inning, then they added to their lead in the top of the seventh when Luke Applegate made it a 3-1 Manchester advantage as he crossed the plate with two outs.

Whiteoak came back in the bottom of the seventh to force extra innings, with their half of the seventh beginning with Christian Hite forcing a walk and Clift hitting a single. After two consecutive strikeouts, Jonah Michael had a two-out walk, followed by Jacob Kiley reaching first base on an error as Hite and Clift scored runs on the error for the 3-3 tied score.

On the mound for WHS, Clift pitched seven innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits and two walks, while collecting 10 strikeouts.

“Izayah Clift was fantastic on the mound tonight," Veidt said. "I thought Christian Hite gave us some really good at-bats tonight for a young kid just starting his first varsity season.

“To summarize things, I'm just proud of our kids, and when they battled, they fought and persevered, and they were fearless. I felt like they were fearless, and that's very important going forward.”

Again, the game will continue Wednesday, April 9 at Whiteoak High School, starting the top of the ninth inning with Manchester at the plate.

BOX SCORE
MHS    001 010 1 — 3
WHS    010 000 2 — 3

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