Big Sandy Wildcat baseball traveled to play in the Certa-Bearden Classic Baseball tournament at West Orange-Stark High School. The Wildcats opened up the tournament Thursday with a loss to the Hemphill Hornets, 6-1.
Corbin Cude started the game for Big Sandy, pitching four innings, allowing five runs on two hits and two walks, while striking outs three batters. Daniel Barker pitched two innings in relief, allowing a run off two hits and struck out three. Trig Byrd went 1-for-3 and scored a run. Emmett Railey and Conner Ratcliff both collected a hit.
Game 2 of the tournament for Big Sandy was against the Tomball Kings. The Kings got out to 9-0 lead, scoring four runs in the first inning, and five more in the third.
The Wildcat bats came alive in the fourth inning. Eli Murphy and Byrd got things started with back-to-back singles, followed by a two-RBI double from Cude. Gus Hardy knocked in another run, making the score 9-3. Conner Ratcliff and Hardy both scored on a single by Lev Cox. Zack McGallion hit an RBI-double down the left-field line, cutting the Kings’ lead to 9-6. An error by the Tomball shortstop allowed two more runs to cross home plate. Then, an RBI-double to left center by Byrd tied the game at 9-9.
In the fifth inning, the Wildcats took advantage of the Kings’ four errors, three passed balls, and a wild pitch, to take a commanding 13-9 lead. The Kings managed to score a run in the bottom of the inning, but it wasn’t enough, as Big Sandy got the comeback win, 13-10. McGallion didn’t have his best stuff in the game, but he didn’t give up, fighting through to keep the Wildcat offense within striking distance. He allowed 10 runs, nine hits, five walks, and struck out two across five innings. Byrd went 2-for-3 with a double, an RBI, and a run. Cude went 1-for-3 with a double, two RBIs, and a run. Cox went 1-for-2 with two RBIs, and two runs.
Big Sandy played their third game of the tournament Saturday morning against the Buna Cougars. The Wildcats scored a run in the first inning and another in the second, giving starting pitcher, Wyatt Lenox, an early 2-0 lead. Lenox pitched an outstanding game, holding the Cougars scoreless for 4.2 innings, but things fell apart in the fifth inning.
With bases loaded and two outs, Buna scored two runs to tie the game on an error that could have ended the inning. The Cougars followed that with a single and a double, scoring two more runs to take a 4-2 lead. The Wildcats couldn’t get their bats going in the bottom of the inning, losing a heartbreaker, 4-2. Lenox did not allow an earned run, and only one hit, while walking five and striking out four.
“He did a really good job pitching to contact and his defense played their tails off behind him the entire game,” Big Sandy coach Kasey Glover said of Lenox’s performance. “He’s had two really good starts against quality opponents (Buna and East Chambers) where things have slipped away at the very end, but hopefully we can adjust and get one to go his way this weekend.”
Ratcliff went 1-for-2 with a double, and Barker was 1-for-1 with a run and a walk.
The Wildcats’ final game of the tournament was against the Beaumont United Timberwolves Saturday afternoon. Big Sandy got off to a fast start, scoring five runs in the first inning, three runs in the third, and two more runs in the fourth inning, giving them a 10-2 lead.
The Timberwolves rallied in the bottom of the fifth inning, scoring five runs on four hits, two walks, and an error. The Wildcats were finally able to stop the rally and Big Sandy got the 10-7 win over Beaumont United.
Hardy started the game on the hill for the Wildcats. He had a rough outing, giving up nine hits, three walks, with five strikeouts and allowing seven runs. McGallion went 3-for-4 with a double and a run. Byrd was 1-for-3 with a double and two runs. Barker went 1-for-3 with a double, a walk, a run, and two RBIs. Ratcliff went 1-for-1 with a double, two runs, two RBIs, three walks, and three stolen bases.
The Wildcats were 2-2 in the tournament and are 4-5 on the season. This weekend they are in the East Chambers tournament, beginning Thursday at noon against Kirbyville and at 2 p.m. against Kountze, then Friday at 2 p.m. versus East Chambers.
