“Cats” Come Up Short in Come Back Attempt

The Gilmer Bobcats baseball team hosted the Mountaineers of North Murray, the first ever home game for head coach, Kyle Barr, as Gilmer’s head baseball coach. North Murray barely beat the Bobcats, winning 5-4, despite holding a 5-1 lead midway through the game’s seventh and last inning. Gilmer got it going in the bottom half of the seventh, scoring three runs, all off steals on home, and loading the bases before a strike out ended the game.Gilmer got down early in the game as North Murray scored two runs in the top of the first inning. Gilmer cut the lead in half in the bottom half of the inning when Marlen Hensley’s RBI sacrifice grounder scored, starting pitcher, Austin White. White reached third after stealing both second and third.

As White and, Mountaineers’ pitcher, Robert Daly settled into the game, the score would remain 2-1 until the top of the fifth inning. Designated hitter, Brandon Brock put the Mountaineers up 3-1, when he tagged up from third after Dylan Silvers long fly ball was caught in foul territory by Alden Morris. Jared Goswick put the visitors up 4-1 with an RBI single, the inning’s last score.

The Mountaineers added to the lead with a run scored in the top of the sixth. The lead would remain four going into the bottom of the seventh inning.

Pinch hitter, Ryan Lowery, led off for the Bobcats with a seeing-eye single right over second base. White followed with a line drive single to center field. Tucker Plouffe’s single to right field loaded the bases for the Bobcats.

Following a fly out by Marlen Hensley, Lowery stole home on an errant pitch to pull the Bobcats within three, 5-2. Both Plouffe and White advanced to second and third respectively. White also stole home on an errant, making the score 5-3.

Forest Bramlett walked putting men on first and third. Plouffe too took advantage of an errant pitch and stole home to make the score 5-4. Walks by Colt Henderson and Sawyer Thompson sandwiched a Clay McClure strike out, loading the basis; however Dale’s aforementioned strike out ended the come back bid for the Bobcats.