Wildcats suffer 11-inning loss to host Manchester
Whiteoak's Jonah Michael is pictured from a home game this season. (HCP Photo/Stephen Forsha)
One swing of the bat in the 11th inning ended an instant classic Southern Hills Athletic Conference game on Tuesday, as the Manchester Greyhounds defeated the Whiteoak Wildcats 1-0 with a walk-off home run.
Manchester’s home run came off the bat of Luke Applegate, who with one out in the bottom of the 11th inning ended the game with a home run over the left field fence to secure the win over the Wildcats.
This was the second time Manchester defeated WHS in extra innings this season, as in a two-day game MHS defeated WHS 4-3, also off a home run, that time by Thomas Barnhart in the ninth inning at WHS on April 1/April 9.
Before that swing, the Wildcats and Greyhounds played scoreless baseball through 10 innings of a scheduled game of seven.
WHS in the top of the 11th had an opportunity for runs as they had two runners on the bases, reaching with a lead-off single by Christian Hite, who eventually landed on second following an error at first base. He then raced to third later in the inning on a wild pitch. After the next two batters struck out, Zander Roades reached the bases with a two-out walk and then took second with a steal.
Whiteoak’s top of the 11th inning ended with a strikeout.
Whiteoak ended the game with four hits, and they committed three errors, while Manchester had three hits and one error.
The Wildcats had four players with a hit each, as Jacen Applegate was 1-for-4 with a hit by pitch and a steal. Hite finished 1-for-4, and he too was hit by a pitch.
Jacob Kiley went 1-for-5, and Wyatt Ruark was 1-for-3 with two walks.
The Wildcats also had Caden Butler with a SAC. Abraham Flader forced three walks, and Jonah Michael drew two walks with a steal. Roades ended the day with three walks and a steal.
Roades was charged with the loss in relief, pitching 1.1 innings, allowing one earned run on one hit and no walks with two strikeouts.
Izayah Clift had the no-decision with nine innings pitched, allowing no runs on two hits and four walks with 11 strikeouts.
Whiteoak’s loss moves them to an overall record of 8-4 with a SHAC Division II mark of 5-2. Manchester is now 7-4 overall and 5-2 in the Division II of the SHAC standings, tied with Whiteoak for first place.
BOX SCORE
WHS 000 000 000 00 — 0 4 3
MHS 000 000 000 01 — 1 3 1