Sandies Fall in Walk-off
Kerens 5 Grapeland 4
By Will Johnson
Messenger Reporter
KERENS – The Grapeland Sandies took to the road on Saturday morning as they traveled to Kerens for a game against the Kerens Bobcats.
It was a quick turnaround for the Sandies who had pummeled the Latexo Tigers the night before by a final of 21-0. The game against Latexo was the first one in district competition that didn’t come down to the wire, but against Kerens the Sandies were back to their nail-biting ways.
After winning several close games, the Sandies were bound to drop one and with this being a non-district contest, it was probably for the best Grapeland would drop the game against Kerens.
The Sandies took an early 2-0 lead in the second inning and then added a run to their total in third. The Bobcats’ heated up in the bottom of the fifth inning as they plated four runs to go up by a score of 4-3.
Grapeland tied things up in the top of the sixth, but couldn’t hold off Kerens in the bottom of the seventh when a one-out single drove in the game winning run for the Bobcats.
Trayton Spivey got the start for Kerens and he managed to dance into and out of trouble in the top of the first. After striking out Slade Harris, Peyton Prater lined a double into left field. Cole Goolsby followed with a walk and then Jason DeCluette hit into a fielder’s choice. The play at third was close, but Prater was called safe and the Sandies had loaded the bases with only one out.
Jax Vickers was up next and popped up to short while Johnny Lamb followed with a ground out to end the Grapeland threat and bring the Bobcats in from the field.
Goolsby got the nod for the Sandies and he was on point from the mound. He fanned the first two batters he faced but gave up a walk to Kannon Ritchie. Goolsby came back to catch Krayton Ritchie watching as strike three sailed by.
Jayce Elliott led off the second inning with a single for Grapeland and moved to second when Kristian Sparks was hit by a pitch. Once Sparks reached first, Kacin Salmon came into run for Sparks.
Isaiah Chimal followed in the order but struck out looking while Harris was also caught staring at strike three. Next up was Prater, who singled into center to advance the runners. Goolsby followed with a two-out single to drive in Elliott and Salmon which made the score 2-0, but that was all Grapeland could muster as DeCluette struck out to end the inning.
After Goolsby worked a three up/three down bottom half of the inning, the Sandies tacked on another run to their lead.
Kr. Ritchie came on in relief of Spivey to open the third inning and got Vickers to lead off with a popup to third. The new Kerens pitcher then began to struggle with his control. He walked Lamb, hit Elliott on a 2-0 pitch and then gave up a bunt single to Salmon.
Chimal followed in the batting order and laced a single into right field which plated Lamb. Once again, however, the Bobcats stymied a potential big inning from the Sandies as Ritchie coaxed Harris to hit into a double play to end the top of the third.
A quiet fourth gave way to the fifth and after the Sandies were unable to do anything at the plate, Kerens erupted for four runs.
Harris came on in relief of Goolsby and found himself in early trouble. An error on an Adrian Solis grounder put him on first. He then stole second while Matt Rickard struck out. Bobcats Danny Conklin and Ryan Priddy were both plunked by Harris to load the bases.
Solis stole home and then an outfield error on a liner from Ka. Ritchie allowed Conklin and Priddy to cross the plate and tie the game at three. Harris was lifted after he walked Kr. Ritchie and Lamb came on in relief.
Lamb was greeted by a single from Lane Lynch which put the Bobcats up 4-3. Fortunately for Grapeland, a mistake on the base paths by Kerens resulted in the second out of the inning while Lamb forced Dusty Spence to fly out to end the frame.
The Sandies battled back to tie the game in the top of the sixth. Harris drew a walk to lead off the inning but was thrown out at second when he tried to steal. Prater followed with a strike out but Goolsby singled to keep the inning alive. He stole second and moved to third on a wild pitch. DeCluette walked and as Vickers was settling into the batter’s box, Goolsby swiped home to tie the game. Vickers fanned but the game was now knotted at four.
Lamb worked an easy sixth to keep the Sandies in line for yet another round of late inning heroics. It was not meant to be, however, as Grapeland went quietly in the top of the seventh, setting the stage for the Bobcats.
Conklin led off the bottom of the seventh for Kerens and was hit by a pitch. Priddy followed with a sacrifice to move Conklin to second and when Ka. Ritchie singled into right, Conklin raced around the bases to slide into home with the game-winning run.
Goolsby pitched four innings of no-hit baseball, struck out six and walked three. Harris lasted a third of an inning and gave up four unearned runs while Lamb was saddled with the loss after going 2.1 innings. He gave up one run on two hits and struck out one.
At the plate, Goolsby was 3-3 with two RBI and one run scored while Prater was 2-4.
Will Johnson may be contacted via e-mail at [email protected].
