Late homers lift Wildcats over Lions
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
LEESBURG — The score was close for six innings, but two two-run home runs by the Whiteoak Wildcats in the seventh inning were more than enough for the fifth Southern Hills Athletic Conference win of the season.
The dominant final inning by the Wildcats occurred with four runs in the inning, all crossing home plate with no outs as the home runs were off the bats of Gage Carraher and Tyler Williams, leading to a win of 8-3 Tuesday at FHS.
Before the home runs, the Wildcats (5-0, 8-5), who lost two games this past weekend, already led by a 4-3 score, but the extra runs. added with the home runs, proved to be too much for the host Lions (1-3, 5-7) to overcome.
"We knew we could pressure them later in the game," WHS head coach Chris Veidt said. "Our play in conference games has been great thus far.
"On Friday, we played a good game, as in the league games we are facing better pitching. As for this past weekend (WHS lost two games), nothing went right, but we challenged the kids after that, and they responded here. Hopefully that is the last time I see anything like what happened on Saturday."
The seventh inning for the Wildcats began with a lead off single (on a 0-1 count) by Luke Taggert, who ended the game 2-for-4. He rounded the bases when Gage Carraher sent the ball over the fence for two runs and a lead of 6-3. Carraher went 2-for-3 with three RBIs and a walk.
Jesse Bradds followed by forcing a six-pitch walk, and he too rounded the bases as he was brought home on a home run by Tyler Williams (on a 1-0 count) for the aforementioned five-run lead. Williams ended the day 2-for-4 with two RBIs and one run.
Before the four-run seventh, the Highland County rivals were close on the scoreboard as the Lions were first to add runs with a two-run second for a 2-0 lead.
"We were in the game on the scoreboard, but we weren't mentally," FHS head coach Matt Garman said. "We can't give a team like Whiteoak extra opportunities. We gave them extra outs, free bases and we had mental errors running the bases again.
"It seems to be a recurring theme."
Isaiah Liggins (3-for-3, two doubles, two runs) opened the second with a double on a 2-2 count and eventually scored on a one-strike single by Wyatt Crothers. Crothers eventually crossed home plate for the two-run lead.
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WHS cut the Lions' lead in half in the top of the third with Nick Wardlow singling to lead off the inning, followed by scoring on a base hit by Taggert with two outs.
The score was tied at two after the top half of the fourth as the Wildcats continued to add pressure against their county rival with Carraher leading off the inning with a full-count walk. Carraher scored on a single by Kyle Marler three batters later with one out, as the Wildcats sent seven batters to the plate in the inning.
Fairfield didn't rest, though, taking a 3-2 advantage in their half of the fourth with Liggins gaining his second double in the same number of at-bats. He eventually scored on a two-out single by Dylan Rohde, as that proved to be the final run of the Lions.
WHS answered and kept the lead for good with a two-run fifth as Taggert and Zach Docter each led off the inning with base hits. Both eventually scored in the inning, as Carraher batted in Taggert with no outs on a 0-1 count. Docter scored on an error.
Docter led the Wildcats at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two runs. Bradds, Marler, Wardlow and Jason Jones each had one hit, with Jones drawing two walks as the Wildcats totaled 13 hits and committed zero errors.
Taggert was the winning pitcher. The senior went seven innings, allowing three earned runs on eight hits and two walks. Taggert (2-0) in his second start of the season struck out seven, including the side in the third, with two strikeouts in the second and sixth innings.
"It was good to get Luke back on the mound," Veidt said. "We've been holding him back for a conference game, and this was a good game for him to pitch in, as it has been around two weeks since he started."
In his first start of the season, Taggert shutout Peebles.
"Luke kept his pitch count down, and after the first three innings, he was himself," Veidt said.
Gaining one hit each for the Lions were Cody Bennett, Blake Hildebrant, Joey Wilson, Crothers and Rohde. Quintin Schaffer and Rohde each forced a walk as the Lions had eight hits and two errors.
The loss went to Wilson, as he pitched into the seventh inning, coming off two innings he pitched on Saturday. Against WHS, Wilson struck out seven.
"Joey did what he does … he kept us in the game, we just had too many mental mistakes." Garman said.
Both teams have games scheduled for Tuesday in the SHAC as the Lions will travel to North Adams on Tuesday, while the Wildcats travel to Fayetteville with each game beginning at 5 p.m.
The dominant final inning by the Wildcats occurred with four runs in the inning, all crossing home plate with no outs as the home runs were off the bats of Gage Carraher and Tyler Williams, leading to a win of 8-3 Tuesday at FHS.
Before the home runs, the Wildcats (5-0, 8-5), who lost two games this past weekend, already led by a 4-3 score, but the extra runs. added with the home runs, proved to be too much for the host Lions (1-3, 5-7) to overcome.
"We knew we could pressure them later in the game," WHS head coach Chris Veidt said. "Our play in conference games has been great thus far.
"On Friday, we played a good game, as in the league games we are facing better pitching. As for this past weekend (WHS lost two games), nothing went right, but we challenged the kids after that, and they responded here. Hopefully that is the last time I see anything like what happened on Saturday."
The seventh inning for the Wildcats began with a lead off single (on a 0-1 count) by Luke Taggert, who ended the game 2-for-4. He rounded the bases when Gage Carraher sent the ball over the fence for two runs and a lead of 6-3. Carraher went 2-for-3 with three RBIs and a walk.
Jesse Bradds followed by forcing a six-pitch walk, and he too rounded the bases as he was brought home on a home run by Tyler Williams (on a 1-0 count) for the aforementioned five-run lead. Williams ended the day 2-for-4 with two RBIs and one run.
Before the four-run seventh, the Highland County rivals were close on the scoreboard as the Lions were first to add runs with a two-run second for a 2-0 lead.
"We were in the game on the scoreboard, but we weren't mentally," FHS head coach Matt Garman said. "We can't give a team like Whiteoak extra opportunities. We gave them extra outs, free bases and we had mental errors running the bases again.
"It seems to be a recurring theme."
Isaiah Liggins (3-for-3, two doubles, two runs) opened the second with a double on a 2-2 count and eventually scored on a one-strike single by Wyatt Crothers. Crothers eventually crossed home plate for the two-run lead.
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WHS cut the Lions' lead in half in the top of the third with Nick Wardlow singling to lead off the inning, followed by scoring on a base hit by Taggert with two outs.
The score was tied at two after the top half of the fourth as the Wildcats continued to add pressure against their county rival with Carraher leading off the inning with a full-count walk. Carraher scored on a single by Kyle Marler three batters later with one out, as the Wildcats sent seven batters to the plate in the inning.
Fairfield didn't rest, though, taking a 3-2 advantage in their half of the fourth with Liggins gaining his second double in the same number of at-bats. He eventually scored on a two-out single by Dylan Rohde, as that proved to be the final run of the Lions.
WHS answered and kept the lead for good with a two-run fifth as Taggert and Zach Docter each led off the inning with base hits. Both eventually scored in the inning, as Carraher batted in Taggert with no outs on a 0-1 count. Docter scored on an error.
Docter led the Wildcats at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two runs. Bradds, Marler, Wardlow and Jason Jones each had one hit, with Jones drawing two walks as the Wildcats totaled 13 hits and committed zero errors.
Taggert was the winning pitcher. The senior went seven innings, allowing three earned runs on eight hits and two walks. Taggert (2-0) in his second start of the season struck out seven, including the side in the third, with two strikeouts in the second and sixth innings.
"It was good to get Luke back on the mound," Veidt said. "We've been holding him back for a conference game, and this was a good game for him to pitch in, as it has been around two weeks since he started."
In his first start of the season, Taggert shutout Peebles.
"Luke kept his pitch count down, and after the first three innings, he was himself," Veidt said.
Gaining one hit each for the Lions were Cody Bennett, Blake Hildebrant, Joey Wilson, Crothers and Rohde. Quintin Schaffer and Rohde each forced a walk as the Lions had eight hits and two errors.
The loss went to Wilson, as he pitched into the seventh inning, coming off two innings he pitched on Saturday. Against WHS, Wilson struck out seven.
"Joey did what he does … he kept us in the game, we just had too many mental mistakes." Garman said.
Both teams have games scheduled for Tuesday in the SHAC as the Lions will travel to North Adams on Tuesday, while the Wildcats travel to Fayetteville with each game beginning at 5 p.m.