Dragons win with 8-run inning

Last Friday was senior recognition night at Wildcat Park, and with all the honors going to the seniors and with the Wildcats facing Nacogdoches who had just come off of a 14- 2 pouncing over district leader Pine Tree, this game had the makings of a possible mismatch.

That was not the case at all as the Wildcats played one of their best games of the year pushing the Dragons into extra innings before the Nacogdoches bats woke up to score eight runs in the eighth inning to come away with a hard fought 11-3 win.

Many people will read the final score in the paper and think that this was a dominant performance by the Dragons, but this was not the case as Whitehouse fought toe to toe with Nacogdoches and had opportunities to take the lead and win the game before it went into extra innings.

Before the game, seniors Evan Beaton, Banks Brandon, Ryan Miner, Caleb Toole, and Chase West were honored along with their parents for their commitment and contributions to the Whitehouse baseball program.

Nacogdoches would start off the game by jumping out to a 3-0 lead on starter Ryan Miner on three hits and three walks in the inning. Miner would overcome the shaky start to hold the Dragons scoreless through the seventh inning.

The Wildcats would cut into the lead in the third inning as Banks Brandon would cross the plate on a single to right by Miner.

The Wildcats would push across another run in the bottom of the fourth as Banks would get things started with a walk and move to third on a perfect bunt by Heath Mayo that would put him on first.

Brandon would then score on a hit by Evan Beaton to cut the lead to 3-2 for the Dragons. The Wildcats would tie the score in the fifth and the score would remain tied going into the eighth.

Nac would lead things off with a solo homer to take a 4-3 lead that would lead to a pitching change with Grant Brandon coming on in relief. The Dragons would then get hot at the plate and score seven more to crush most of Whitehouse's hopes for a comeback.