Wildcats plunked; take home extra inning win over rival Fairfield
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
LEESBURG - Seven innings wasn't enough for the Whiteoak Wildcats and the Fairfield Lions to settle their Highland County and Southern Hills League feud. The longtime rivalry took nine innings along with a bases loaded hit by pitch to settle this round, with the Wildcats leaving Leesburg victors over the Lions, 3-2.
The top of the ninth was set up for the Wildcats, with Ryan Emery starting off with a lead-off hit by pitch to reach first. Ben Barnett followed with a infield single. After the first out was recorded, Gage Carraher loaded the bases for the Wildcats with a single hit to shallow left field.
With runners covering every base, Ethan Eyre stood at the plate and was belted by a fastball, allowing Emery to coast home for the eventual game-winning run.
In their final at-bat, the Lions were struck out all three times by freshman pitcher Gage Carraher, with the final pitch of the game being No. 120 as he went all nine innings on the hill.
"I have been coaching in these games for 19 years, and Coach (Jeff) Miller has been at this a long time too. These games are always close, and they are fun to be a part of," WHS head coach Chris Veidt said. "Ben had a great bunt in the game and to win with a bean ball, with the bases loaded, was a different way for this game to end, but we will take a win however we can. This is just a great game to be a part of. We ran the bases well and played well defensively.
"We scored our runs with two outs and got runners on bases when we needed to."
Carraher allowed two runs (one earned) on five hits and five walks. The freshman hurler struck out 18 batters. This was the second time this season Carraher struck out 18 in a game.
"Gage continues to grow up each game he is on the mound," Veidt said. "Honestly, it has been hard keeping him in the game for six or seven innings, but tonight he kept his pitch count low and did a great job. Again, he just keeps getting better, and he had his best control of the season."
But like most Wildcat and Lion battles in the past, each run was fought for, as both teams kept their errors to one of their lowest points of the season. The Lions committed two fielding miscues, and the Wildcats had one.
The first run came in the top of the first with Barnett leading off with a single to centerfield. Zach Docter moved Barnett to second with a ground out to the pitcher.
Whiteoak was down to their final out when Eyre slapped a single through the infield to score Barnett.
The Lions answered in the bottom half of the second with a run of their own.
Dakota Hargrave forced a one-out walk to reach first. Hargrave stole second. Cody Tolle reached first on a throwing error, allowing Hargrave to score the first Fairfield run, tying the game at one.
The game then turned into a pitcher's duel as Carraher and Nathaniel Miller struck out a combined eight batters from the start of the third inning through the final recorded out of the fifth inning.
But in the bottom of the sixth, the Lions took the lead for the first time with a run.
Tyler Campbell was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. He was replaced on the bases by Chase Fulkerson, who stole second and took third on a passed ball. Hargrave batted in Fulkerson with an RBI single for the 2-1 lead.
After the Lions took the lead at 2-1, Whiteoak ended the inning with a double play as Corey Hughes made a running catch in the outfield, and the runner was called out at first for not tagging up after Hughes made the catch.
"We tried to make adjustments and out defense has improved greatly the last couple games," FHS head coach Jeff Miller said. "We have lost some tough one-run games, but this is the typical Whiteoak-Fairfield game."
The Wildcats tied the game in the next half inning.
WHS was down to their final out in the top of the seventh and Barnett responded with a base hit to left-center field. Barnett stole second base to get into scoring position and scored on a single by Zach Docter, which rolled down the third base line to the outfield, for the game-tying run at 2-2.
The Lions had a chance to gain the win in the bottom of the eighth inning.
With one out, Adams reached first with a single. Adams then stole second and third bases. Miller forced a walk with two strikes. Still with one out, Campbell bunted the ball near the pitcher, but Adams was unable to make a dash for home, instead being stranded at third base until the third out of the inning was recorded.
Miller pitched the first eight innings for the Lions to gain the no decision. The junior allowed two runs (two earned) on seven hits and three walks. Miller finished with 10 strikeouts.
"Nathaniel did outstanding," Jeff Miller said. "He did a nice job of hitting his spots and locations. He kept Whiteoak off-balanced. As a team we have to keep plugging away and hope things start to turn in our favor."
Wilson was charged with the loss as he went one inning on the mound. Wilson allowed two hits and one run. He struck out one batter and had no walks.
Adams and Wilson each went 2-for-3 at the plate for the Lions.
Leading WHS was Barnett at 3-for-5 with two runs. Gage Carraher went 2-for-5, including a double and Eyre was 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Michael Carraher was 1-for-3.
The loss puts the Lions at 6-7 overall, 5-3 in the SHL. The Wildcats jump to 7-10 overall, 5-3 in the SHL.
WHS will play again Thursday as they travel to Manchester. FHS will travel to Peebles on Thursday. Both games will start at 5 p.m.
BOX SCORE
WHS 100 000 101 - 3 9 1
FHS 010 001 000 - 2 5 2[[In-content Ad]]
The top of the ninth was set up for the Wildcats, with Ryan Emery starting off with a lead-off hit by pitch to reach first. Ben Barnett followed with a infield single. After the first out was recorded, Gage Carraher loaded the bases for the Wildcats with a single hit to shallow left field.
With runners covering every base, Ethan Eyre stood at the plate and was belted by a fastball, allowing Emery to coast home for the eventual game-winning run.
In their final at-bat, the Lions were struck out all three times by freshman pitcher Gage Carraher, with the final pitch of the game being No. 120 as he went all nine innings on the hill.
"I have been coaching in these games for 19 years, and Coach (Jeff) Miller has been at this a long time too. These games are always close, and they are fun to be a part of," WHS head coach Chris Veidt said. "Ben had a great bunt in the game and to win with a bean ball, with the bases loaded, was a different way for this game to end, but we will take a win however we can. This is just a great game to be a part of. We ran the bases well and played well defensively.
"We scored our runs with two outs and got runners on bases when we needed to."
Carraher allowed two runs (one earned) on five hits and five walks. The freshman hurler struck out 18 batters. This was the second time this season Carraher struck out 18 in a game.
"Gage continues to grow up each game he is on the mound," Veidt said. "Honestly, it has been hard keeping him in the game for six or seven innings, but tonight he kept his pitch count low and did a great job. Again, he just keeps getting better, and he had his best control of the season."
But like most Wildcat and Lion battles in the past, each run was fought for, as both teams kept their errors to one of their lowest points of the season. The Lions committed two fielding miscues, and the Wildcats had one.
The first run came in the top of the first with Barnett leading off with a single to centerfield. Zach Docter moved Barnett to second with a ground out to the pitcher.
Whiteoak was down to their final out when Eyre slapped a single through the infield to score Barnett.
The Lions answered in the bottom half of the second with a run of their own.
Dakota Hargrave forced a one-out walk to reach first. Hargrave stole second. Cody Tolle reached first on a throwing error, allowing Hargrave to score the first Fairfield run, tying the game at one.
The game then turned into a pitcher's duel as Carraher and Nathaniel Miller struck out a combined eight batters from the start of the third inning through the final recorded out of the fifth inning.
But in the bottom of the sixth, the Lions took the lead for the first time with a run.
Tyler Campbell was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. He was replaced on the bases by Chase Fulkerson, who stole second and took third on a passed ball. Hargrave batted in Fulkerson with an RBI single for the 2-1 lead.
After the Lions took the lead at 2-1, Whiteoak ended the inning with a double play as Corey Hughes made a running catch in the outfield, and the runner was called out at first for not tagging up after Hughes made the catch.
"We tried to make adjustments and out defense has improved greatly the last couple games," FHS head coach Jeff Miller said. "We have lost some tough one-run games, but this is the typical Whiteoak-Fairfield game."
The Wildcats tied the game in the next half inning.
WHS was down to their final out in the top of the seventh and Barnett responded with a base hit to left-center field. Barnett stole second base to get into scoring position and scored on a single by Zach Docter, which rolled down the third base line to the outfield, for the game-tying run at 2-2.
The Lions had a chance to gain the win in the bottom of the eighth inning.
With one out, Adams reached first with a single. Adams then stole second and third bases. Miller forced a walk with two strikes. Still with one out, Campbell bunted the ball near the pitcher, but Adams was unable to make a dash for home, instead being stranded at third base until the third out of the inning was recorded.
Miller pitched the first eight innings for the Lions to gain the no decision. The junior allowed two runs (two earned) on seven hits and three walks. Miller finished with 10 strikeouts.
"Nathaniel did outstanding," Jeff Miller said. "He did a nice job of hitting his spots and locations. He kept Whiteoak off-balanced. As a team we have to keep plugging away and hope things start to turn in our favor."
Wilson was charged with the loss as he went one inning on the mound. Wilson allowed two hits and one run. He struck out one batter and had no walks.
Adams and Wilson each went 2-for-3 at the plate for the Lions.
Leading WHS was Barnett at 3-for-5 with two runs. Gage Carraher went 2-for-5, including a double and Eyre was 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Michael Carraher was 1-for-3.
The loss puts the Lions at 6-7 overall, 5-3 in the SHL. The Wildcats jump to 7-10 overall, 5-3 in the SHL.
WHS will play again Thursday as they travel to Manchester. FHS will travel to Peebles on Thursday. Both games will start at 5 p.m.
BOX SCORE
WHS 100 000 101 - 3 9 1
FHS 010 001 000 - 2 5 2[[In-content Ad]]