WEDNESDAY MORNING KHS DIAMOND UPDATE | Diamond 'Dogs beat Chapel Hill handily; Lady 'Dogs lose to Bullard

Mar. 31—Turns out these Diamond 'Dogs have a little bite.

Kilgore, who was upset at home over the weekend by Lindale, brought the fight with them to Chapel Hill Tuesday night for the sixth District 16-4A game of the year.

Chapel Hill was ready for them to leave after an inning.

The Diamond 'Dogs run-ruled Chapel Hill, 12-0, an efficient performance that brought their district record to 4-2, and their overall record to 13-5.

Coach Eugene Lafitte's Kilgore team is off this weekend, and is back in action for round two of district play at Cumberland Academy in Tyler on Tuesday, a 4:30 p.m. junior varsity start, with varsity to follow at 7, and then next Friday, a big one: Bullard against Kilgore here at Driller Park, the same format (JV at 4:30, then varsity after).

Chase Lewis got the win on the mound — he was Kilgore's only pitcher of record for the game. Lewis only threw 39 pitches. He gave up no runs, of course, just one hit and walked just one, and struck out three.

Chapel Hill was charged with three errors.

At the plate for Kilgore, Thomas Hattaway went 2-for-2 with a home run and 2 RBI Donovan Adkins had a triple and went 1-for-3 with an RBI. Chris Ervin went 2-for-4, both of them doubles, with 2 RBI; Thomas Hattaway went 2-for-2 with 2 RBI; Hunter Pipak had a double and went 2-for-3; Cade Pippen had a double, as well, and went 1-for-3. Dalton McElyea had 2 RBI, and Jake Thompson went 2-for-3 with an RBI.

The Bulldogs opened the floodgates early, netting four runs in the top of the first inning. Pippen walked, went to third on an error and then McElyea drew a walk. Ervin stepped up with a 2-RBI double. Ervin went to third on a single by Pipak, and then scored on an RBI single by Thompson (3-0 Kilgore). Pipak went to third, and then stole home for the 'Dogs' fourth run.

Lewis struck out two runs in the bottom of the first and sandwiched a groundout to Pippen in between.

Then it happened: with an out in the bottom of the second, Hattaway hit his home run, a solo shot to left field to give the Bulldogs the 5-0 lead. It was actually the second straight game for Hattaway to homer; the previous game, though, last week, was on junior varsity.

Adkins followed Hattaway's long-ball with a walk, then advanced to third on a double by Pippen. Adkins would score on a grounder hit by McElyea (6-0), and Pippen stood at third. Two batters later, Pippen scored on a passed ball, giving the 'Dogs a 7-0 lead.

Lewis got back-to-back-to-back grounders from Chapel Hill, and went 1-2-3 in the bottom of the second. Kilgore, though, kept up the hot bats. Thompson led off with a single, and then Lewis put the ball in play on a bunt. Thompson went on to score on an error (8-0 KHS).

Bryce Long drew a walk, and Ryan Beddingfield, running for Lewis, stood at third. Beddingfield scored on a passed ball (9-0), and then after Hattaway walked, Chapel Hill recorded three straight outs to get out of the threat.

In the top of the fourth, with an out in the books, Pipak hit a double to left, and then advanced to third on a grounder hit by Thompson. Pipak would score before Chapel Hill could get out of the inning on an RBI single by Lewis.

Lewis gave up a rare hit in the bottom of the fourth, but then KHS got Chapel Hill to go 1-2-3 on a strikeout, a fly ball and a tag-out.

Kilgore finished the game, for the most part, in the top of the fifth. Hattaway singled, and then scored on a triple by Adkins, and then two batters later, Adkins scored on a sacrifice fly hit by McElyea.

Bullard 12, Kilgore 2 (softball): One team scored 12 runs here at Stream-Flo Field Tuesday night, too, but not the team that Kilgore softball fans would've preferred on Orange Night, for cancer awareness.

Kilgore got a double from Haylee Brown and an RBI each from Jaycie Villanueva and Genna Cavanaugh, but dropped this District 16-4A contest to the visiting Bullard Lady Panthers.

Kilgore has got a bit of a hole of which to dig out in order to make the playoffs. It's not too late, but the Lady 'Dogs are 0-4 in district play, with the second round to go.

Kaylee Paul recorded 4 RBI on three hits for Bullard, and Teagan Graul had a double and 2 RBI.

The Lady Bulldogs, coached by Cheyenne Kirkpatrick, will visit Chapel Hill on Thursday — JV at 4:30, varsity at 6, and then will host Spring Hill on Tuesday, at those same times. And that will be teacher appreciation night.