In a game of pitch and catch, Bryson Davis donned the catching gear Thursday night while Butch Bryant stepped on the mound for Coach Edward’s Wildcats. Bryant went 3 innings allowing 3 runs on as many hits in front of 3 wildcat errors before surrendering the mound to Parker Hardison. Hardison pitched just one inning for Independence, striking out 1, walking 2 and giving up 2 runs on 0 hits.
Independence took an early 1 run lead in the visitors half of the 1st inning and Butch Bryant’s pitching held the lead until the Green Wave scored 3 runs in bottom of the third. . Bryant allowed 3 runs on as many hits in front of a Wildcat team that committed 3 errors. Parker Hardison took the mound next for the Cats, striking out 1, walking 2 and giving up 2 runs on 0 hits. At this point the Wildcats added an unanswered run in the top of the 5th inning to narrow the score to5-2 in favor of the home standing Green wave.
Now trailing 5-2, Ethan Kile took the mound, pitching what would turn out to be the final 3 inning of regulation play. Kile allowing 1 run on 0 hits, walking 3, and striking out a game high 7 North Delta Batters. The Green Wave was held scoreless in the bottom of the 5th and 3 runs by the Cats in the 6th tied the game at 5-5. The tie would be short lives however as the Wave scored in their half of the inning.
With the score tied at 6 all in the seventh North Delta was unable to produce a run and the game went into extra innings. The Wildcats were held scoreless in their half of the eighth and as the Wildcat fielders sprinted from the dugout Coach Edwards shuffled the pitching deck once more pulling out his ace, Jayden Watkins .Watkins took the mound and did not disappoint striking out 5 Green Wave batters while allowing 0 runs,0 walks on 0 hits. As the Green wave offense dried up the Cats came alive in the top of the ninth scoring 3 runs that would be the deciding factor in the game.
Not to be overshadowed by excitement on the mound, the Wildcats produced 9 runs on just 3 hits. The Cats continued to run the bases aggressively led by Jayden Watkins who went 1 for 3 with 1 run, a walk with 3 stolen bases, and 2 RBI’s .Butch Bryant went 0 for 3 but got on base twice as a result of 2 walks and a stolen base put him in position to score a run for the Cats. Rounding out the offensive effort for Independence; Bryson Davis went 1 for 4 with 1 RBI, and Dallas Stepp went 1 for 5 with 1 RBI.
Though it came down to the wire the young Cats persevered to clinch the victory 9-6.
The Wildcats will be off the week of Spring Break before returning to the diamond to face the Byhalia Braves in a district contest on Tuesday, March 23 at 5 p.m.
