The Gilmer Bobcats baseball team traveled to Ringgold to take on the Generals of Heritage. The game started under storm clouds and ended the same way Bobcats, as the Generals marched to a 7-4 victory.Gilmer’s batters faced Heritage Generals pitcher, Jake Sampson. In the top of the first Sampson gave up a hard hit double to Tucker Plouffe. But Plouffe would only look at home plate from second not cross it. Bramlett grounded out leaving Plouffe stranded.

Bobcat’s Ace Marlen Hensley led the charge from the mound against the Generals. Gilmer’s defense handled Heritage in the bottom of the first, giving up no runs.

As the second inning started it looked like both teams were settled in, this game came down to coaching and strategy.

Henderson led off with a stand up double. Thompson attempted a sacrifice bunt; however, he popped out back to the pitcher. Shane Dale sacrifice ground out moved Henderson to third.

McClure drew a walk, giving Gilmer runners on the corners with two outs. Would the Bobcats strike first? No, Lowery grounded out stranding two. The Bobcats to this point had three stranded in two innings and it made a big difference in the game come the fifth inning.

Hunter White started the bottom of the second off for the Generals with a smoking hit down the third base line for a single. Another single would give the Generals men on first and second with no outs. Austin Morris hit a grounder to Austin White at third, allowing White tag to the lead runner.

The next batter hit a grounder to McClure at first, McClure attempted to get the lead runner at second for a double play, but the throw hit the runner in the back. This would allow the man on second to score giving the Generals a 1-0 lead. Hensley got out of the inning with the next two batters.

The Bobcats needed to jump back into game. White led off the third with a walk. Hensley’s sacrifice bunt moved White two second with one out. White was left stranded on second as the next two batters would ground out. The Bobcats defense wrapped up the third inning giving up no runs to head into the fourth still down 1-0.

The Bobcats led off the fourth with a single; however, it was followed immediately with a double play ball and a fly out, putting Gilmer back on defense.

The Generals left two stranded in the bottom of the fourth but not before scoring a run off a Bobcat error, which would turn out to be the winning run for the Generals.

The storm was moving in and it would be a matter of minutes before the rain set in. The Bobcats lead off in the fifth with a walk. Alden Morris’s bunt moved McClure to second. White’s single scored McClure from second.

White put the Bobcats on the board, and with a steal he represented the tying run on second. Hensley’s single should have drove in that run; however, White was caught leading off second, picked off sleeping. Hensley’s single could have been the winning run on first but instead it was another Bobcat stranded runner.

As the Generals took the field in the bottom of the fifth, the storm came in resulting in a rain delay. The game went on and thunder continued to roll. The Generals wanted to complete the inning.

The rule is that a full five innings make an official game. The Generals was winning 2-1. The sky was very dark with loud thunder and pouring rain. The Bobcats’ defense was soaked, but managed to get off the field not giving up any runs.

The game was at that point considered a complete game and as soon as the third out came. The Generals reported a lightning strike to the Umpires. It is the home teams’ responsibility to have a lightning indicator. By rule the home team has to report lightning immediately to the umpires and remove the players from the field.

Heritage did not report the lighting, to the umpires, endangering the players on the field, all for a complete game. They did report it after the third out in the fifth.

With about an hour and fifteen minute rain delay the Gilmer coaches, Barr and Plouffe, had plenty of time to go over strategies. Down 2-1 this would be a different game when they took the field.

The field conditions would be very wet and muddy. The pitcher would be throwing a heavier baseball. Marlen Hensley had already thrown close to seventy pitches in the first five innings.

After the rain delay was over the teams took the field for the top of the sixth. The Generals sent Austin Morris to the mound to take over the game from Jake Sampson, who had pitched five innings only giving up one run. The hand off was successful as Morris went through all the batters in the Gilmer line up.

Barr made no pitching change, sending Hensley back to the mound in the bottom of the sixth. A couple of questions come to mind. Why send a pitcher with an hour and a half rain delay back to the mound? Hensley had thrown around seventy pitches and now his arm had to be cold and sore. Why not show the Generals plays someone new?

Maybe some off speed pitching, something 10mph slower then what Hensley threw to them for five innings. In fairness to Coach Barr, Hensley has already proven twice this year that a game delay did not bother his arm. At this point Hensley was having a good outing so send him to the mound and the Bobcats defense was superb.

The Generals led off with a single. The next batter moved the runner over with a ground sacrifice. Hensley hit the next batter putting men on first and second with one out. The next batter would hit a grounder and the Bobcats would get the lead runner at second.

At this point there were runners on the corners two outs. Barr needed just one more out from Hensley. Hensley hit the next batter loading the bases with two outs. Hensley was clearly struggling and his pitches wear coming in very high. Barr stuck with him needing just one more out. The next batter would take that high pitch for a ride high off the right field wall, clearing the bases with a double making it 5-1.

The Bobcats fans assumed that Barr surly was not going to leave Hensley in for the hope of one more out; however, Hensley stayed in the game. Hunter White stepped into the box for the Generals.

Hensley served up a high fast ball and White showed his appreciation for it by slamming it over the left field wall for a two run homerun making it 7-1. Barr brought in Thompson to pitch. The next batter hit a grounder for the third out.

The Generals brought in Austin Morris to pitch the seventh. Dale would lead off with a single to right field. After a walk and a strike out, the top of the Bobcats order came to bat. White hit an RBI single up the middle. With runners on first and third with one out, Hensley hit a double off the wall driving in another run.

With men on second and third, and one out, the Generals’ coach took no chances. He brought in Cody Sherlin to pitch. Tucker Plouffe hit a sacrifice fly to bring in another run and move the other to third. Forrest Bramlett drew a walk to put runners on the corners with two outs. Colt Henderson would strike out for the final out of the game with the Generals wining 7-4.