The Hixson Wildcats hit three home runs Monday evening in an 8-4 victory over the “other” Wildcats from Sweetwater in a Region 3AA semifinal matchup between the teams with like mascots. Sweetwater jumped out front for a brief moment early on, but then went quiet for the rest of the game.
Senior Brad Dossett took the mound to start the game for Hixson and sawed off Sweetwater’s first three batters in quick succession.
After Hixson leadoff batter Manny Velazquez popped out, center fielder AJ Wild came to the plate. He watched one pitch go by, then cranked a home run that just slipped inside the yellow foul post 315 feet out into right field. Hixson’s John Plumlee Stadium favors left-handed sluggers, the left field foul pole standing at just325 feet.
After another quick out, cleanup hitter Jacob Tobias launched his own solo home run just inches to the left of where Wild’s hit crossed over the short fence. Sweetwater starting pitcher Dalen Gibby walked the next man then enticed the next Hixson batter to pop out.
In the second inning Sweetwater immediately made up the for Hixson’s two home runs. Second baseman Ryan Littleton started things off with a single that was followed by four more singles, a walk and a hit batter. By the time the dust had settled, Sweetwater was ahead 4-2.
During Hixson’s at bat in the second inning the Wildcats picked up two more hits and one run. They left a man on base and were still down 4-3.
Hixson put together a fantastic double play to get out of the third inning. After the Sweetwater batter struck out for the second out, Hixson catcher Corey Satterfield popped up and gunned down Kai Correll attempting to steal second base for the third out.
Back in the field, Sweetwater had the perfect opportunity to pull a double play of their own and end the inning without taking having any more damage inflicyed. Instead Littleton at second base bobbled the grounder, was too late for the throw to second and overthrew the first baseman. They were the game’s only two errors and allowed Hixson to score two more runs later that inning.
Now down 5-4 in the fourth, Sweetwater suffered their third three-and-out of the night. Hixson’s Dossett had a total of five three-and-outs in his seven innings pitched.
Briley Duggan took over the mound for Sweetwater in the fourth inning and met the top of Hixson’s lineup. Leadoff hitter Velazquez wasted no time in adding his name to the home run club with a solo shot of his own. Velazquez’s effort crossed the fence closer to the 345-foot fence in center field.
Jacob Tobias’s pop fly added one more run in the inning for Hixson and the Wildcats established a 7-4 lead heading into the fifth .
Dossett threw his best inning in the fifth as he quickly dispatched the top of Sweetwater’s lineup, forcing three pop-outs. Hixson added two more hits and one run during its at bat to extend the lead to what would become the final margin.
Dossett continued his mastery over the visiting Wildcats and picked up two of his total six strikeouts in the last two innings.
With the win, Hixson advances to the Region 3AA championship and a rematch with Signal Mountain at home on Wednesday.
“These guys just grind,” Hixson head coach Colton Green said about his squad. “That’s just the type of guys they are.”
He continued, “We go down 4-2 in the second and as a coach you start to think you need to make changes, but you saw Dossett hand in their and finish it out.”
SWEETWATER 040 000 0 -- 4 7 2
HIXSON 212 210 x -- 8 11 0
Gibby, Duggan (4) and Myers; Dossett and Satterfield.