Bulldogs drop Panthers in extra innings

The Lewis County Middle School Panthers baseball team hosted the Hickman County Middle School Bulldogs on Tuesday, March 9th at Lewis County High School.

The Panthers sent Brayden Whitlow to the mound for the start, and the Bulldogs jumped on Whitlow early with a leadoff single and a run-scoring error before the first out was recorded and Hickman County took a 1-0 lead after a half-inning. Steele Moseley reached on a one-out error in the home first and came around to tie the game on a two-out double by Sam Moore. The Bulldogs would again get the first two players aboard before a run-scoring groundout to reclaim the lead at 2-1, and would add 2 more runs on a single and a double to take a 4-1 lead after one and a half innings.

Dakota Hull would reach on an error to start the bottom of the second and, following a Phenix McDonald walk, would score on a Jalen Smith single and cut the Bulldog lead to two. Whitlow would work around 2 errors to pitch a scoreless third, and open the bottom half with a leadoff single. Sam Moore would single and the Panthers would move into scoring position with no outs. Whitlow would score on a wild pitch, and Moore would cross the plate two batters later on a Hull single to tie the game at 4. Jalen Smith relieved Whitlow in the fourth and worked out of a 2 walk jam with a double play to hold the Bulldogs scoreless. Smith walked to start the home fourth and was cut down at the plate on a Steele Moseley triple to left. Moseley would cross the plate on a Whitlow single and the Panthers would take a 5-4 lead into the fifth.

An error in the top of the fifth followed by a one-out ground out brought in the tying run in the fifth. The Panthers squandered a leadoff walk by Hull and were scoreless in the bottom of the inning. Smith would work around a one-out walk and an error in the sixth and the game remained tied at 5. Smith would walk to start the sixth and Whitlow provided a one-out single before a two-run double by Moore. The Panthers would lead 7-5 moving into the 7th. Moseley came in to relieve Smith and hit the leadoff man in the 7th. After a Panther error, the Bulldogs loaded the bases with a 1-out single. The Bulldogs would score three in the inning with a walk, an error, and a fielder's choice to take an 8-7 lead into the bottom of the 7th. Dakota Hull would reach on an error to start the inning, but was cut down attempting to steal second. Maddox Tanner reached on a 1 out error that put him on second. Smith came to the plate with 2-outs and reached on an error that scored Tanner to tie the game at 8. A single, an error, and a single and an error brought in two to take a 10-8 lead. Whitlow started the bottom of the eighth with a single to left, and promptly stole second and third before scoring on a 1-out sacrifice fly, but the Panthers would not be able to push another run across and dropped the 10-9 game in an extra inning.

Brayden Whitlow had 4 hits, 3 runs, and an RBI, Sam Moore had 3 hits, 2 doubles, a run and 3 RBI, Jalen Smith had a hit, a run, and an RBI, Steele Moseley had a hit and 2 runs, Dakota Hull had a hit, a run, and an RBI, Kolt Skelton 1 RBI, and Maddox Tanner 1 run scored. Whitlow went 3 innings, gave up 4 runs (3 earned) on 5 hits and struck out 4, Smith went 2 ⅓ innings, gave up 1 unearned run, and walked 4, and Moseley went 2 ⅔ innings, gave up 5 unearned runs on 3 hits while walking 1 and striking out 2.