Wildcats fend off Hillsboro rally; walk-off in extra innings
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
MOWRYSTOWN — A play at the plate which saw Whiteoak’s Trever Yeager knock in the game-winning run with Ryan Roberts sliding into home plate before the tag was placed sent the Wildcats to a wild 13-12 nine-inning win over the visiting Hillsboro Indians in a non-conference Highland County showdown.
At one point going into the the seventh inning, the Wildcats led by a 12-6 score, but a six-run Hillsboro rally tied the game and eventually forced extra innings.
Fast-forward to the bottom of the ninth inning, and it took the Wildcats just three batters to keep their undefeated record in place, moving them to 7-0 overall.
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The game-winning run occurred with a one-out single by Roberts. He moved to second base on a passed ball. The final and game-winning at-bat of the game went to Yeager as the senior singled on a 1-0 count, sending Roberts around the bases with a slide into home plate for the walk-off victory.
“Our kids, wow, they are resilient,” WHS head coach Chris Veidt said. “Baseball can be such a difficult, negative game at times, and for them to take the disappointment of closing the game against a huge rival and still having the courage to walk-off in the ninth was impressive.
“We needed this type of game, opponent, atmosphere and result for so many reasons. I’m so proud of our kids. Trever Yeager is calm, cool and collected and ended the game for us in walk-off fashion.”
The game almost didn’t need extra innings for the Wildcats to gain the win as they held a six-run lead going into the top of the seventh inning. That all changed with the Indians’ presence at the plate in the inning, going from trailing by the aforementioned six runs to tying the game and forcing extra innings.
Hillsboro’s rally began with a single by Kelton Anderson, followed by a single to left field off the bat of Jared Thompson. Next was a single to left field by Phillip Mycroft, and a hit by pitch from Luke Magulac sent him to first base with an RBI as Anderson scored, keeping the bases loaded. Anderson was 2-for-5 with one run and two RBI for the game. Magulac was 2-for-3 with one walk, a hit by pitch, one run and three RBI.
The first out was recorded with a groundout to first base by Justin Scott, scoring Thompson. Following the second out, and with the Indians trailing by four runs with one out remaining, the game was far from over. Scott finished the game with two RBI.
A two-out rally began with Dylan Boone forcing a walk on a full count, followed by a swing of the bat by Stanley, who batted in three runners as he sent the ball on a journey to the left-centerfield fence on a 1-1 count, scoring Mycroft, Magulac and Boone making it a 12-11 score. Boone totaled one hit and two runs in the game.
The game was tied at 12-12 when Payton Bell batted in Stanley with an RBI single for a 12-12 score, forcing the Wildcats to make a pitching change. Stanley finished with one hit, one walk, a hit by pitch, one run and three RBI.
“Hats off to a very talented and well-coached Hillsboro squad,” Veidt said. “To have your backs to the wall like they did and score six runs in their final at-bat to force extra innings shows character. We gave them nothing in that inning. They earned every bit of it.
“Mason Stanley’s double in the seventh was as clutch as it gets. The play their right fielder made on (Chase) Carraher in the seventh was huge. That should’ve ended it, but he was having none of it … impressive.”
Whiteoak was first to score in the non-conference game with Traeten Hamilton and Roberts scoring off RBIs by West and Carraher for a 2-0 lead after the first inning was complete. Hamilton totaled one hit, two runs, one walk, one hit by pitch and two steals. Roberts went 2-for-5 with four runs and one walk. West finished 2-for-4 with two runs, three RBI and one double. Carraher totaled one hit, three runs, one RBI, three steals and a sacrifice.
“Caleb West’s three RBI were huge, leading to big innings for us in the third and fifth,” Veidt said.
Hillsboro tied the score at 2-2 in the top of the second with Thompson and Mycroft scoring runs off a two-RBI base hit to centerfield by Magulac.
WHS pulled away in the bottom of the third with a five-run inning as Roberts, West, Carraher, Lehr and Casey Nace all rounded the bases. Hamilton, West, Lehr, Nace and Butler were credited with RBIs in the inning which propelled the Wildcats to a 7-2 lead. Lehr finished 2-for-3 with one run, two RBI, one walk and was hit by a pitch twice.
“Chase Carraher did so many little things well. He showed great leadership for us on the field when things got tight in the sixth,” Veidt said. “He played as good at shortstop as any kid I’ve seen and put together three quality at-bats as well.”
Both teams scored a run in the fourth inning with Hillsboro having Thompson score a run and Whiteoak having Carraher round the bases for a Whiteoak lead of 8-3. Thompson finished 4-for-5 with three runs and two steals.
In the top of the fifth, it was Bell and Boone scoring runs for the Indians, but the Wildcats answered with a four-run fifth inning as Hamilton, Roberts, West and Carraher all scored runs with RBIs by West and Lehr for a Wildcats lead of 12-5.
Bell totaled one hit, two walks, one run and a steal in the loss, and Boone finished with one hit and two runs.
HHS inched closer to the Whiteoak lead in the top of the sixth by adding another run when Mycroft reached home plate for a 12-6 score. Mycroft ended the game at 2-for-4 with one walk, one steal and three runs.
Then came the top of the seventh where Hillsboro scored the aforementioned six runs, forcing extra innings at 12-12.
Also for the Wildcats, Evan Brill had one hit, one RBI and a walk. Nace totaled one hit, with one run and one RBI. Harless also had one hit and a steal.
Lehr (1-0) was the winning pitcher for the Wildcats, who pitched 2.1 innings of relief. Facing nine batters, Lehr allowed no runs on one hit and no walks.
Butler was the starting pitcher for Whiteoak. He pitched 5.1 innings, allowing six runs (four earned) on seven hits and five walks. He finished with two strikeouts. Harless pitched 1.1 innings of relief. He allowed six runs on five hits and two walks.
“Chase Butler battled as always, just ran out of gas in the sixth inning,” Veidt said. “Mason Lehr was, most likely, the player of the game for us both offensively and clutch on the mound. For a kid to perform like he did in his second varsity pitching appearance is impressive.”
Watson was the starting pitcher for the Indians for a no decision. Also pitching in relief were Anderson and Stanley, where Stanley was charged with the loss.
At one point going into the the seventh inning, the Wildcats led by a 12-6 score, but a six-run Hillsboro rally tied the game and eventually forced extra innings.
Fast-forward to the bottom of the ninth inning, and it took the Wildcats just three batters to keep their undefeated record in place, moving them to 7-0 overall.
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The game-winning run occurred with a one-out single by Roberts. He moved to second base on a passed ball. The final and game-winning at-bat of the game went to Yeager as the senior singled on a 1-0 count, sending Roberts around the bases with a slide into home plate for the walk-off victory.
“Our kids, wow, they are resilient,” WHS head coach Chris Veidt said. “Baseball can be such a difficult, negative game at times, and for them to take the disappointment of closing the game against a huge rival and still having the courage to walk-off in the ninth was impressive.
“We needed this type of game, opponent, atmosphere and result for so many reasons. I’m so proud of our kids. Trever Yeager is calm, cool and collected and ended the game for us in walk-off fashion.”
The game almost didn’t need extra innings for the Wildcats to gain the win as they held a six-run lead going into the top of the seventh inning. That all changed with the Indians’ presence at the plate in the inning, going from trailing by the aforementioned six runs to tying the game and forcing extra innings.
Hillsboro’s rally began with a single by Kelton Anderson, followed by a single to left field off the bat of Jared Thompson. Next was a single to left field by Phillip Mycroft, and a hit by pitch from Luke Magulac sent him to first base with an RBI as Anderson scored, keeping the bases loaded. Anderson was 2-for-5 with one run and two RBI for the game. Magulac was 2-for-3 with one walk, a hit by pitch, one run and three RBI.
The first out was recorded with a groundout to first base by Justin Scott, scoring Thompson. Following the second out, and with the Indians trailing by four runs with one out remaining, the game was far from over. Scott finished the game with two RBI.
A two-out rally began with Dylan Boone forcing a walk on a full count, followed by a swing of the bat by Stanley, who batted in three runners as he sent the ball on a journey to the left-centerfield fence on a 1-1 count, scoring Mycroft, Magulac and Boone making it a 12-11 score. Boone totaled one hit and two runs in the game.
The game was tied at 12-12 when Payton Bell batted in Stanley with an RBI single for a 12-12 score, forcing the Wildcats to make a pitching change. Stanley finished with one hit, one walk, a hit by pitch, one run and three RBI.
“Hats off to a very talented and well-coached Hillsboro squad,” Veidt said. “To have your backs to the wall like they did and score six runs in their final at-bat to force extra innings shows character. We gave them nothing in that inning. They earned every bit of it.
“Mason Stanley’s double in the seventh was as clutch as it gets. The play their right fielder made on (Chase) Carraher in the seventh was huge. That should’ve ended it, but he was having none of it … impressive.”
Whiteoak was first to score in the non-conference game with Traeten Hamilton and Roberts scoring off RBIs by West and Carraher for a 2-0 lead after the first inning was complete. Hamilton totaled one hit, two runs, one walk, one hit by pitch and two steals. Roberts went 2-for-5 with four runs and one walk. West finished 2-for-4 with two runs, three RBI and one double. Carraher totaled one hit, three runs, one RBI, three steals and a sacrifice.
“Caleb West’s three RBI were huge, leading to big innings for us in the third and fifth,” Veidt said.
Hillsboro tied the score at 2-2 in the top of the second with Thompson and Mycroft scoring runs off a two-RBI base hit to centerfield by Magulac.
WHS pulled away in the bottom of the third with a five-run inning as Roberts, West, Carraher, Lehr and Casey Nace all rounded the bases. Hamilton, West, Lehr, Nace and Butler were credited with RBIs in the inning which propelled the Wildcats to a 7-2 lead. Lehr finished 2-for-3 with one run, two RBI, one walk and was hit by a pitch twice.
“Chase Carraher did so many little things well. He showed great leadership for us on the field when things got tight in the sixth,” Veidt said. “He played as good at shortstop as any kid I’ve seen and put together three quality at-bats as well.”
Both teams scored a run in the fourth inning with Hillsboro having Thompson score a run and Whiteoak having Carraher round the bases for a Whiteoak lead of 8-3. Thompson finished 4-for-5 with three runs and two steals.
In the top of the fifth, it was Bell and Boone scoring runs for the Indians, but the Wildcats answered with a four-run fifth inning as Hamilton, Roberts, West and Carraher all scored runs with RBIs by West and Lehr for a Wildcats lead of 12-5.
Bell totaled one hit, two walks, one run and a steal in the loss, and Boone finished with one hit and two runs.
HHS inched closer to the Whiteoak lead in the top of the sixth by adding another run when Mycroft reached home plate for a 12-6 score. Mycroft ended the game at 2-for-4 with one walk, one steal and three runs.
Then came the top of the seventh where Hillsboro scored the aforementioned six runs, forcing extra innings at 12-12.
Also for the Wildcats, Evan Brill had one hit, one RBI and a walk. Nace totaled one hit, with one run and one RBI. Harless also had one hit and a steal.
Lehr (1-0) was the winning pitcher for the Wildcats, who pitched 2.1 innings of relief. Facing nine batters, Lehr allowed no runs on one hit and no walks.
Butler was the starting pitcher for Whiteoak. He pitched 5.1 innings, allowing six runs (four earned) on seven hits and five walks. He finished with two strikeouts. Harless pitched 1.1 innings of relief. He allowed six runs on five hits and two walks.
“Chase Butler battled as always, just ran out of gas in the sixth inning,” Veidt said. “Mason Lehr was, most likely, the player of the game for us both offensively and clutch on the mound. For a kid to perform like he did in his second varsity pitching appearance is impressive.”
Watson was the starting pitcher for the Indians for a no decision. Also pitching in relief were Anderson and Stanley, where Stanley was charged with the loss.