TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALLGAME

By
Maryann Miller

 

The Winnsboro Red Raider baseball team clinched a tie for first place in District 20-2A beating the Grand Saline Indians by a score of 11 to 8 on Tuesday, April 22. Three teams are tied for first: Winnsboro, Quitman, and Grand Saline, all with 9-2 records.

Jimmy Oxford, Winnsboro's coach said that having a three-way tie for first place is an interesting situation. "We'll all be going to the playoffs," he said."But we have to come up with some way to figure out how we will be seated. It's kind of a garbled deal, but a good garbled deal."

It had been ages since I'd been to a high school baseball game, and it was fun to be there in the stands with cheering fans. The first inning was scoreless for both teams, but Winnsboro exploded in the bottom half of the second scoring seven runs on solid base hits down the center. Hunter Garret got a double on an error, driving in two runs. Grand Saline changed pitchers, but Winnsboro continued to hit, scoring seven more runs. One was disputed, and then discounted when one of the umpires ruled that Cody Madsen did not touch home plate before Blake Bennett was tagged out at third. (Pictured is Zac Hensley at bat.)

Winnsboro scored another run in the bottom of the third inning, then Grand Saline batters got hot in the top of the fourth. Their lead batter got a hit on a bouncer over the second baseman's head. Two more base hits followed, one bringing in another run, then a walk that scored a run. At that point, Winnsboro opted to change pitchers, and Cody Madsen came in and managed to end the inning, but only after Grand Saline scored two more runs.

In the bottom of the fourth, Winnsboro scored two more runs, and Grand Saline answered with a run in the top of the fifth inning. The bottom of the fifth, Chaz Baxter started with a successful bunt and scored when Christian Bosold got a double.

It looked like the teams were going to be trading runs the rest of the game, but Winnsboro held Grand Saline at the top of the sixth to just one run. The lead batter got a double, and the next batter hit a long fly to center. Chaz Baxter caught the ball and made a terrific throw to third, to hold the runner at second.

Winnsboro did not score in the bottom of the sixth, but were able to hold the Grand Saline team off in the top of the seventh to win the game.

Zac Hensley was the starting pitcher for Winnsboro and Rusdon Mills was the second baseman.

 

Blake Bennett number 17 scores followed by number 22, Garrett Hamm.