Kingwood Shows “Fighters Heart” Down but Never Out

Gets Off the Mat in the 2nd Inning Kayos

Clear Creek 11 to 5 – Wins Region 3 Quarter-finals

 

 

Things were not going well for the Kingwood Mustangs through 1 ˝ innings of play Friday night as Clear Creek came out swinging in the 3rd and deciding game of the Kingwood verses Clear Creek Quarter-final match up.

 

At the end of the 1 ˝ inning of play Kingwood:

 

·        had lost starting pitcher Junior lefthander, Blake Hancock, to injury

·        was behind 3-2

·        had 5 innings to play with relief pitchers left

 

The Kingwood offense answered in the bottom of the 2nd.  Junior second baseman, Josh Fountain, opened the frame with a homerun, Sophomore rightfielder, Doug Simmons, singled; Junior centerfielder, Kyle Denny, walked; and Senior infielder, Greg Gossett, was hit by a pitch to load the bases.  Junior shortstop, Johnny Whittleman, singled home Simmons and Denny.  Gossett “manufactured” a run by stealing third and scoring on a wild throw.  Score after two full innings of play was Kingwood 6 – Clear Creek 3.

 

On came senior righthander, Jimmy Jordan, so critical in the clutch for Kingwood.  The Mustangs defense rose behind Jordan.

 

In the 3rd inning, Doug Simmons made a running catch and threw a bullet to cutoff man Junior first baseman, Austin Wood, who alertly doubled off a runner at second base throwing to Whittleman.

 

In the 5th inning Gossett charged a slow hit bunt, barehanded the ball, and gunned out the streaking Creek runner to record the first out.

 

Whittleman ranged far into the hole at short to pick up a hard chance and gun out the third out of the inning.  The rest of the way Jordan cruised going 5 innings, giving up five hits and two runs with five strikeouts to get this third win of the season in a pressure packed situation.

 

Kingwood was far from done.

 

In the bottom of the 5th inning Senior catcher, Andrew Brooks, led off with a double into the left centerfield gap.  Brandon Oliver, running for Brooks, was singled home by Simmons.  Denny reached on a misplayed ball by the third baseman and Gossett blasted a two out triple to the right centerfield fence to score Simmons and Denny.  The score after five full innings was Kingwood 10 – Clear Creek 3.  Whittleman would add a sole HR shot in the bottom of the 6th and Jordan would close out the top of the 7th to give the Mustangs the win and clinch the Quarter-final series.

 

 

Offensively for Kingwood:

 

Whittleman            3-4, 2 homeruns, 2 runs, 4 RBIs

Gossett                 1-3, triple on base 2-4, 1 run, 2 RBIs, 1 stolen base, 1 forced error

Brooks                  2-4, 2 doubles, 1 RBI, 1 run scored (Bruce Williams running)

Fountain                1-4, homerun, 2 runs, 1 RBI

Simmons               2-3, 2 runs, 1 RBI

Denny                   1-2, 2 runs, 1 RBI

Negron                  1-4, 1 run scored