Wildcat JV splits games in tourney

Photo/Charlotte Smith Conner Cashion works the mound in the Wildcat JV game with Hallsville. Whitehouse went 2-2 in the preseason district tournament.

The Whitehouse JV was inaction this past weekend as they played host, along with Kilgore, to the preseason district tournament. The tournament was played at both locations in a round robin format in order to help each school get in more games.

The Wildcats started the tournament with a 4-3 win over Henderson in their first game on Friday. The Cats did most of their damage in the third inning scoring three runs on RBI singles from Jacob Hilburn, Conner Crawford and Conner Cashion. The Wildcats would put up another run in the fifth as Crawford scored on a RBI single from Austin Kea.

Henderson cut into the lead in the seventh on a solo homer but the Wildcats hung on for the one run win. Justin Haney worked the mound for the Wildcats to earn the win.

The Wildcats then played Jacksonville and posted an 11-0 win in five innings. The Indians were plagued by errors early leading to eight Whitehouse runs in the first inning. Payton Smith and Dalton Stroud worked the hill for the Cats with Smith earning the win.

The Wildcats then fell on tougher times on Saturday losing to Marshall 9-5 and then falling apart against Hallsville in a 10-0 rout. The Cats stayed close early to the Mavericks as Justin Kellar had a RBI double in the second inning to tie the score at 2-2. However, the Mavericks regained the lead at 5-2 in the fourth before Smith drove in Logan Newton to cut the lead to 5-3.

Marshall then took control in the sixth to extend its lead before Whitehouse notched two more runs in the bottom half of the sixth to finish the scoring 9- 5. Smith suffered the loss on the mound for the Wildcats

The Hallsville game started out well for the Wildcats as it remained scoreless after two innings but a Whitehouse error lead to four unearned runs in the third and then Hallsville got to starting pitcher, Cashion in the fourth for six more runs and the Wildcats never got any offense going in the 10-0 loss. Cashion took the loss on the mound.

The JV returned to action Monday night coming from behind to defeat Pine Tree in its district opener 6-5. The Wildcats trailed 5-3 headed into the seventh inning but rallied for three runs to take the lead. Stroud earned the win on the mound and went 2-3 at the plate while Haney pitched the seventh for the save. Newton, Crawford and Cashion had good nights at the plate with each going 3-4.

The Wildcats return to action tonight as they travel to Hallsville with game time at 6 p.m.