'Dogs outlast Lindale; face Longview, another team today
HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL/ OIL BELT CLASSIC TOURNAMENT
By MITCH LUCAS sports@kilgorenewsherald.com

Just call Ryan Heimer the Marathon Man.

Heimer, a pitcher for the Kilgore High School Bulldogs, threw 104 pitches over six-plus innings Thursday night in a 5-2 win for KHS over Lindale in the first round of the Oil Belt Classic Tournament.

The Oil Belt Classic has a long history here, and for the first time in some time, the entire tournament is being played here at Driller Park.

With the win over Lindale (coupled with a 17-2 Longview High School win over Liberty Eylau Thursday), Kilgore was to face Longview this afternoon at 1 p.m., as tournament play continued. The winner of that game moves on to play tonight at 7 p.m.; the loser will play at 5 p.m.

In other games in the tournament on Thursday, Bullard beat Sulphur Springs, 5-1; Pine Tree run-ruled Gilmer, 10-0; Sulphur beat Eylau, 5-3; and Rockwall Heath defeated Bullard, 4-0.

The tournament's championship game is scheduled for 3 p.m. Saturday.

Coach Jeff Blackstone's Diamond 'Dogs went down 1-0 in the top of the second inning. Tanner Rutledge, reached when he was hit by a pitch. His courtesy runner, Justin Smith, scored on a single by designated hitter Martin Dodgen.

But Kilgore would tie the game in the bottom of the third. Left fielder Trevor Moon led off the inning with a single, went all the way to third base on a pick-off error, and then scored on a sacrifice by center fielder Andrew Ector, tying the game up at 1.

The Bulldogs would add more in the bottom of the fourth. KHS got three straight singles to begin the inning - catcher Chris Dudley, DH Xavian Sanders and Danny Sharpe each got a hit, with Will Mixon, running for Dudley, scoring the go-ahead run on the hit by Sharpe. Second baseman Jared Alexander flew out, but it was a sacrifice fly, scoring Sanders and giving KHS a 3-1 lead.

Kilgore would add two more runs: one in the fifth, when Trace DeBerry scored on an RBI single by Sanders, and another in the sixth. Moon drew a two-out walk, then scored on a double by Ector, putting Kilgore up 5-1.

The Bulldogs did have to weather a little storm. Heimer pitched an excellent game, holding Lindale at bay for much of it. But the high pitch count finally fatigued Heimer, who was relieved by Sharpe in the seventh inning with the bases loaded. Sharpe struck out John Oliver before Justin Copeland reached on a fielder's choice that scored a run, but also allowed Kilgore to get the second out of the inning on the runner at third.

Sharpe walked Cody Highnote, loading the bases once more, but struck out Justin Valdez to end the threat and the game.

The win moved Kilgore to 5-2 this season. The Bulldogs have won three straight.

Heimer allowed four hits, struck out three, hit three batters and walked three. Sharpe had two strikeouts and the one walk of Highnote.

At the plate, Ector had the single and the double, and 2 RBI. Sanders had two singles and an RBI. Moon had a single, walked twice and scored twice. Sharpe had the RBI single that gave Kilgore the lead in the fourth. Dudley had a single, as did DeBerry, and Alexander had the sac-fly RBI.

See more coverage of the Oil Belt Classic in Sunday's News Herald.