The best part about district baseball tournaments where the format turns into a Best of Three series in the semis is that teams have a second chance to redeem themselves after a bad start.
The Hixson Wildcats can be thankful for that after a tough start in their Best of Three series with the East Hamilton Hurricanes in the District 6-AAA tournament being played at Central’s Gene Lively Stadium.
Hixson has played really good baseball in the second half of the season, but they hit a bump in the road in Friday’s opening game with the Hurricanes.
They gave up 11 runs in the first two innings and never recovered as they fell by a 14-6 final. The good news is that they can wipe Friday’s game from their memory and focus on Saturday when they get a second chance.
Nic Castro, who has been Hixson’s best pitcher this spring, has endured some tough innings, but he wasn’t able to endure the two at the start of Friday’s game.
The Hurricanes batted around in the first inning and scored three runs as they had two walks, two hits and two hit batters.
It got progressively worse in the second as the Hurricanes sent a dozen hitters to the plate and scored eight runs on four walks, four hits, one hit batter and two Hixson errors.
It was 11-0 at this point and it looked like the run rule might be used, but the Wildcats kept battling as they scored their first run in the third inning before putting five on the board in the fifth.
East Hamilton coach Matt Ramsey was just happy to see his team take advantage of Hixson’s misfortunes.
“We jumped out to an early lead as the Castro kid was having a tough time throwing strikes. We were also able to take advantage with some key hits, but we sort of backed off and went into cruise control in the middle innings,” he said after his team had improved to 15-14 for the season.
“These games in a district really do matter as we can’t afford to relax in a situation like that as anything can happen. We lost some of our focus, but I feel sure we’ll be ready to go tomorrow,” Ramsey added.
Hixson coach Colton Green is just happy to have another chance.
“We get to play another one tomorrow,” he said shortly after the final out had been recorded.
“Walks will kill you, but it’s tough to come back when you spot a team that many runs early in the game. We didn’t quit as we kept battling and I thought that Kane (Johnson) got us back in it with his grand slam, but we couldn’t get much going after that.
“I think that was their best pitcher we saw today, so we’ll try again tomorrow, but we’re not out of it,” he nodded.
Joe Quinlan walked and went to second on a wild pitch before scoring on a single by Jack McBrayer. Ethan Evans then got a walk and stole second before scoring on back-to-back wild pitches. Jase Phillips then chased courtesy runner Maddox Bohannon with a double.
Back-to-back walks and a bunt single combined with a Hixson error loaded the bases before Quinlan scored after Gray Williams got hit by a pitch, signaling the end of the day for Castro.
Reliever Cameron Compton didn’t fare much better as he walked Phillips before Brayden Jasper, Ian Lindsey and Trey Crawford all had run-scoring singles to keep the bases loaded. Peyton Harris then got an RBI with a bases-loaded walk to end Compton’s stint.
Maddox Trotter then allowed the final run on a sacrifice fly to left, but was able to finally retire the side without further damage.
Phillips scored on a wild pitch after singling and advancing on a Hixson error in the third while the Hurricanes added their final two runs in the fifth, McBrayer scoring the first on a wild pitch and Bohannon on another Wildcat miscue.
Cole Shackleford scored Hixson’s first run in the third when he led off with a single and scored on a bases-loaded walk to Castro.
Then in the fourth, Jase Moses drove in the second run with a single to center, driving in Maddox Russak, who had reached on a fielder’s choice.
Riley Frazier got hit by a pitch, Shackleford reached on a two-out error before Moses hit, setting the stage for Johnson, who ripped an 0-2 pitch over the fence in left to make it 12-6.
East Hamilton added those two runs late, but Hixson wasn’t able to score again after Johnson’s blast.
McBrayer, Evans and Phillips all had two hits for the Hurricanes, who finished with nine for the game. Shackleford and Moses both had two for Hixson.
HIXSON 001 500 0 – 6 7 4
EAST HAMILTON 381 020 x – 14 9 2
Castro, Compton (2), Trotter (2) and Lott; Phillips, Davis (3), Phillips (7) and Evans.
(email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@gmail.com)