Buckeyes fall, 11-1

Mirror Photo / Mary L. Kirby Gilmer's Jake Ashley is on the mound here.

LONGVIEW — Justin Robbins got the revenge he sought when he defeated the Buckeyes 11-1 in front of a senior night crowd at Panther Field. Robbins had lost earlier in the year at Gilmer 2-1.

Friday was a night for ground balls, with Robbins getting 11 groundball putouts, seven going to second baseman Aaron Miranda.

By contrast, on the Buckeye side of the field, shortstop Hunter Harrison suffered his first error of the season as in two different innings a flubbed catch led to missing a chance for a double play. When the smoke cleared, the Panthers had a 4-0 lead after three innings.

“We gave up a lot in the second inning when we missed a double play ball,” Coach Joey Hector said afterwards. “When Spring Hill got it rolling, they just did not stop.”

G.J. Kinne then led off the fourth with a hit to left and Brennan Thompson advanced him. Jud Murry drove him home with a ground out which prevented a shut out.

Thompson finished the night 2-for-3.

With the score still 4-1 in the bottom of the fourth, Spring Hill added to their score.

In the fourth inning after the first Panther hit, Hector called on D.J. Stanley to relieve starter Jake Ashley. Spring Hill scored twice before Stanley got a 6-3 put out to end the fourth trailing 6-1.

They picked up one runs in the fifth, three in the sixth, and when the 11th crossed the plate in the seventh the game ended.

“I am disappointed in the way we came out and played,” Coach Hector said immediately following the game. “We had a tough loss [to MIneola] on Tuesday. Now we have to right the ship.”

The Buckeyes still were in the playoff race as of this writing because a win over Gladewater Tuesday would put them in a 2nd place tie.

In the fourth inning after the first Panther hit, Hector called on D.J. Stanley to relieve starter Justin Fielden (7-2).

Scott Powell led the offense for the Panthers with 3-for-4 hitting with three RBIs, while Miranda went 2-for-3 with two RBIs.

Kyle Bowden, Dustin Varnado, and Harrison joined Thompson and Kinne in getting base hits.

Fielden finished the game with 6 runs scored credit to him. He had four strikeouts, walked three and hit a batter. Stanley gave up five runs on six hits.