Center Horseshoe Ballpark on Thursday, March 28, 2024 –
The Center Roughriders varsity baseball team dropped a District 17 4A conference baseball game, to the Kilgore Bulldogs, by a 9-4 score on Thursday. The loss puts Center at 3-13-1 overall for the season and they have a 1-6 conference mark. The Bulldogs are 13-6-1 this season and 6-2 in District 17 play.
The Bulldogs held a narrow 1-0 run lead early but Roughriders sophomore Cody Adkinson reached base with one out in the bottom of the second inning, and later scored on a Gage Vidrine single, and a Bulldogs throwing error. This tied the game at 1-1. The Roughriders took the lead in the bottom of the third inning when freshman Jayden Lane was hit by a pitch to begin the inning and was later driven in to score on a double down the leftfield line by junior Logan Horton. Center led 2-1 but this would prove to be their only lead of the contest.
Kilgore rallied in the top of the fourth inning to retake the lead at 6-2. The top of the sixth frame saw KHS extend their lead to 8-2 after another rally.
Center cut the Kilgore lead to 8-3 in the bottom of the sixth inning when Adkinson singled to rightfield, stole two bases and then scored on a passed ball behind the catcher. Kilgore added a score by Casen Edney in the top of the seventh frame to go up 9-3.
Center scored the final run in the bottom of the seventh inning when TJ Belin scored on an Easton Wulf double up the middle which cut the KHS lead to 9-4.
Colt Bullard pitched the entire game for the Bulldogs and gave up 10 hits, struck out 6 and walked two batters.
‘Rider Easton Wulf pitched 5 1/3 innings and gave up 11 hits, struck out two and walked three batters. Sutton Link pitched 1 2/3 innings for Center and struck out two and gave up three hits, walking none.
Center will travel to Henderson Lions Ballpark on Tuesday, April 2 for a 7 p.m. District 17 4A game with the Lions who are 2-5 in the conference and last fell to Carthage on March 26 by a 6-1 score.
