Panthers Claw by Tigers

Latexo Falls to Normangee, 9-2

By Will Johnson
Messenger Reporter

LATEXO – The Latexo Tigers were looking to break their losing streak in District 21-AA as they welcomed the Normangee Panthers to town on Monday, March 26 and for a while, it looked like they just might.

It wasn’t meant to be, however, as the Panthers pulled away with two runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings to capture a 9-2 win.

Justin Bobbitt was on the mound to start the game for the Tigers and gave up a lead-off single to Logan Andrews. Andrews was thrown out on a fielder’s choice when Evan Pate hit a pitch to second baseman Clay Cook who flipped the ball to shortstop Curt Baker for the first out.

E. Pate moved to second on a wild pitch from Bobbitt and advanced to third on Ryan Pate’s groundout. He trotted home on Bubba Mayes line drive to center to give the Panthers an early 1-0 lead.

Following Mayes RBI single, Bobbitt coaxed a 4-3 force out from Chayse Smith to end the early Normangee threat.

Cobey Powell was on the bump for the Panthers and got two quick outs as Matthew Wheeler flew out to center and Bobbitt lined out to second. Kase Miller slapped a single to left but was stranded there when Baker grounded out to end the inning.

After a quiet second inning, Normangee added a run to their lead in the top of the third. Powell reached on an error and moved to third on a double from Andrews. E. Pate grounded into a 6-3 force, but on the play, Powell scampered home and Andrews moved to third.

After an error allowed R. Pate to reach first, Bobbitt re-grouped to strike out Mayes and then forced Smith to pop out to first to limit the damage.

Latexo got a run back in the bottom of the third. Malachi Reece led off the Tigers half of the inning with a 4-3 groundout, but John Lackey followed with a walk. Lackey moved to second on a Wheeler groundout and came around to score when Bobbitt roped a single into center field.

Miller was up next and popped out to short but the Tigers had cut the Panthers lead in half and only trailed 2-1 after three innings of play.

As the fourth inning got underway, Bobbitt retired the first two batters he faced on a strikeout of Lance Yellot and a 1-3 groundout from CJ Rosales.

Unfortunately, the next four batters reached safely on a single, double and two more singles. Anthony Banda started the hit parade with a single up the middle. He moved to third on Powell’s double to left. Both Banda and Powell crossed the dish to make the score 4-2 when Andrews laced a Bobbitt pitch into center.

E. Pate also reached on a single but R. Pate flew out to center to bring the Normangee half of the inning to a close.

The Tigers cut the lead in half – once again – when they came to bat in the bottom of the fourth. Baker drew a walk and moved to second on a wild pitch. Randell Holcomb was up next and hit a grounder to Rosales at third. Rosales threw to Jacob Schmidt at first for an out and then Schmidt threw back across the diamond to catch Baker as he tried to advance to third for a 5-3-5 double play.

Hayden Duren was up next and was hit by a Powell pitch. Ayden Confer came in as a courtesy runner for Duren and promptly stole second as well as third. Clay Cook was up next and drew a walk off of Powell to give the Tigers runners at the corners.

When Powell uncorked a wild pitch, Confer scored from third to make the score 4-2. Two pitches later, Cook moved to second on a passed ball.

That was all the offense the Tigers could muster, however, as Powell re-grouped to strike out Reece and end the inning.

Normangee added two more in the fifth and sixth innings and tacked on a run in the seventh while Powell and Schmidt held the Tigers scoreless the rest of the way to end the game with Normangee winning by a final of 9-2.

Will Johnson may be contacted via e-mail at [email protected].

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