1 minute read
Bulldogs drop district game to rival Van Alstyne, 6-5
All was well until the top of the third inning when Van Alstyne took advantage of every Howe (158) mistake. After cruising through the first two innings, Howe starting pitcher Peyton Reagan found trouble in the third when the Panthers scored three runs From that inning on, Howe found themselves down 4-0 and trying to fight back to have a chance
The Bulldogs did give themselves a chance the very next half inning when senior all-state outfielder Brennan Ross doubled on a liner in the right-center gap to drive in Jaden Matthews, who had been hit by a pitch, and Brice Krantz, who doubled to center Howe would close the gap to 4-3 on Reagan's sacrifice fly to center that scored Ross
Advertisement
In the top of the fourth, however, the Panthers extended their lead back to three runs on a double and a single A terrific relay throw from center to home plate to nail down a would-be runner ended the inning and kept the Panthers with a 6-3 lead
In the bottom of the sixth inning, tensions on the field and in the stands rose as Tanner Hartsfield was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning Tyler Grisham made Van Alstyne pay as he completed a great at bat by fouling off a number of pitches until finding an inside fastball that he ripped off the base of the wall for a double that drove in Hartsfield. Krantz later drove home Hartsfield on a perfect piece of hitting to right field against the outfield shade to left After six, Howe had cut the lead to 6-5.
Matt Griffin, who had come on in relief of Reagan, struckout the side only allowing one single in the inning.
Howe neeeded a bloop and a blast to win the game in walk-off fashion, but went down quickly with a lineout by Reagan, a strikeout of Griffin and a strikeout of Hartsfield to end the game
During the final frame, Howe and Van Alstyne fans, who were commingled in the stands, brought the game to a momentary halt by officials on the field The rivalry between the two schools which is approximately 100 years old seems to not have lost any luster through the years
