Seventh inning fatal for WH

Photo/Jim Jackson Banks Brandon and the Hallsville catcher collide at home base. The Wildcats play host to the Nacogdoches Dragons tomorrow night for Senior Night 2007 at Wildcat Stadium with game time at 6 p.m.

With the state wide TAKS test being administered last week, it caused District 12-4A to play a Saturday game in place of the usual Tuesday night game.

Having suffered a close loss at home the night before, Whitehouse came out determined to get a win on the road against Henderson.

The Wildcats would strike early as they would post a 4-0 lead in the top of the first as Heath Mayo would lead off by reaching first on an error.

Ryan Miner would then double to right center moving Mayo to third. Ryan Bell would produce a RBI ground out to second and then Seth Cashion would walk.

Two batters later, Evan Beaton would hit a hot smash off the third baseman's glove, and then Grant Brandon would produce a two-RBI triple to drive in Caleb Toole, pitch runner for Cashion, and also Beaton.

Henderson would score one run in the bottom of the first and then two more in the bottom of the third to cut the lead to 4-3.

Cashion would lead off the sixth with a double to left followed by a walk to Brady Attaway. It looked as if the Wildcats would stand both runners, but Chase West would single up the middle to score Tyler Spitzmiller who had come in to run for Cashion.

The Lions would score one run in the bottom of the inning to cut the Whitehouse lead to 5-4.

Whitehouse starting pitcher, Grant Brandon, would come out of the game in the seventh inning after his pitch count got up too high. Grant would hold the Lions back by scattering 10 hits and striking out 8, and only allowing 2 walks.

Brady Attaway would come into the game in the seventh and would get the first batter he faced to fly out to left. The next batter would reach on a throwing error, and the next batter would single to center.

The Lions would then get a double just inside the right field line to score both runners and pull out the 6-5 comeback win.

"This was another tough loss in a close game, but it shows me that we are close to being a playoff team," said Coach Danny Robey after the game.

"Grant did a great job on the hill, and Brady came in and did a good job in the seventh. I was not aware until today that Bell had gotten hit on the hand Friday night, and he had trouble gripping the ball on the throw late in the game," stated Coach Robey.

The Wildcats traveled to Marshall on Tuesday night and will play host to the Nacogdoches Dragons tomorrow night for Senior Night 2007 at Wildcat Stadium with game time at 6 p.m.