| Sports
Highlights Bulldogs bomb Kemp, whack
Wildcats
Yellowjackets bounce back from Monday’s loss
to beat Malakoff Tuesday
Monitor Staff Reports
CEDAR CREEK LAKE–Eustace’s Bulldogs crushed the hosting Kemp
Yellowjackets 15-1 Monday, then knocked off the Palestine
Wildcats Tuesday, 9-6.
Kemp bounced back from the loss to Eustace by doubling up the
Malakoff Tigers, 10-5, Tuesday.
Following an open date Friday, the Bulldogs were scheduled to
open District 13-2A baseball play on the road against Malakoff
at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 22, before hosting Sunnyvale Friday,
March 25.
Monitor Photo/Kerry Yancey
Eustace Bulldog shortstop Addison Scott (1) tags out Kemp
Yellowjacket baserunner Jeff Gandera (11) after Gandera got
caught in a rundown between second and third during the fourth
inning of Eustace's 15-1 win over the hosting Yellowjackets
Monday.
Kemp was scheduled to open District 13-3A play at home Friday
against the Ferris Yellowjackets, before hosting Crandall at
6:30 p.m. March 22. The ’Jackets are scheduled to visit Mabank
for a key district match March 25.
Before a handful of well-bundled fans on a cloudless, but
blustery afternoon Monday, the visiting Bulldogs took advantage
of a porous Yellowjacket defense to blow out Kemp.
After pushing across one run in the top of the first inning,
when Tyson Oliver dashed across on a passed ball, the Bulldogs
exploded for seven runs in the top of the third to take an 8-0
lead, led off by a home-run shot over the right-field fence by
LSU signee Braden Strickland.
In his second appearance of the inning, Braden drove in two runs
when he hit into a fielder’s choice.
Kemp scored what would be their only run in the bottom of the
third, when Kyle Kimberling’s sacrifice fly brought home Blake
Watkins, but the Bulldogs added four runs in the fourth and
three more in the fifth to run-rule the ’Jackets.
Complete stats were not available for the contest, but the
Bulldogs pounded out 15 hits and took advantage of several Kemp
errors.
Tuesday, the ’Jackets put together a late-game rally to get past
the visiting Tigers.
Malakoff opened a 3-0 lead with three runs in the top of the
fourth, but the ’Jackets countered with four runs in the bottom
of the inning, and then added three more runs in both the fifth
and the sixth inning to seal the contest.
Eustace hosted the Wildcats – who also played Mabank Tuesday
(see related story, page 1B) – and had to hold off a late-game
rally.
The Bulldogs blasted out to an 8-1 lead in the bottom of the
first inning, helped by another Strickland homer, but two
scoreless innings would pass before the Wildcats scored their
second run in the top of the fourth.
Eustace added their ninth run in the bottom of the fifth inning,
but the Wildcats would creep closer, scoring two runs in the
sixth and two more in the seventh.
Kemp girls fall in district opener
Monitor Staff Reports
KEMP–The Kemp Lady Yellowjackets fell to the visiting Kaufman
Lady Lions, 12-3, Tuesday in the District 13-3A softball opener
for both teams.
The Lady ’Jackets were scheduled to host Ferris Friday, before
hosting the Crandall Lady Pirates for a 6 p.m. contest Tuesday,
March 22.
Kemp is scheduled to play in the Martins Mill softball
tournament Thursday and Saturday, March 24-26, sandwiched around
a district road game against the Mabank Lady Panthers Friday,
March 25.
At home against Kaufman, the Lady ’Jackets fell behind 4-0, as
the Lady Lions scored twice in both the first and second
innings.
Kemp got close, at 4-3, by scoring three runs in the bottom of
the third.
Kaufman added a fifth run off two hits in the fourth inning, but
it was the sixth inning that sealed the game, as the Lady Lions
scored six runs on three hits and three Kemp errors (they had
six for the game).
The Lady Lions added their 12th run in the top of the seventh
off two hits. Kaufman had 11 hits in the game and committed no
errors.
Taylor Day had an RBI triple and two singles to lead Kemp’s
seven-hit attack, with Nicole Autrey adding an RBI on two
singles. Both Brianna Powell and Maegan McVay each had base
hits, and Brianna Pavatt added an RBI.
’Cats edge Mabank
Monitor Staff Reports
MABANK–The hosting Mabank Panthers made a stirring late comeback
against the Palestine Wildcats, but fell just short in a 14-11
slugfest Tuesday.
The Panthers were scheduled to open District 13-3A baseball play
Friday at home against the Kaufman Lions.
Tuesday, March 22, the Panthers will visit Ferris for a 6:30
p.m. contest against the Yellowjackets, and Friday, March 25,
the Panthers will host the Kemp Yellowjackets for a key district
game.
At Mabank Tuesday, the Wildcats opened a 4-0 lead in the first
two innings, but the Panthers scored a run in the bottom of the
third to close the gap to 4-1.
Palestine made it 7-1 with three runs in the top of the fourth
inning, but the Panthers scored four runs in the bottom of the
fourth to pull within two at 7-5.
The Wildcats apparently secured the contest when they exploded
for six runs (taking advantage of Panther errors) in the top of
the fifth inning to take a 13-5 lead.
Mabank, however, came back with four runs in the bottom of the
sixth to make it 13-9.
Palestine scored their last run in the top of the seventh, but
the Panthers were only able to score twice in the bottom of the
seventh to fall three runs short.
Mabank had 11 hits but committed five errors, while Palestine
had 12 hits and committed three errors.
Austin Craig and Stephen Caillet both had two RBIs to lead the
Panther attack, with Hunter Carrico and Garrett Holcomb also
collecting RBIs.
Ryan Walker, Craig, Zeke Gonzales and Cameron Kirk all pitched
against the Wildcats, with Kirk giving up seven runs (all
earned) and Craig giving up six (four earned).
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