KHS girls end losing streak, beat Jacksonville
HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL
By MITCH LUCAS sports@kilgorenewsherald.com

The streak is over, and this time, that's a good thing.

The Kilgore High School softball team beat Jacksonville at Jacksonville on Friday night, 5-4, finally getting their first District 12-4A win.

The Lady Bulldogs were likely afraid they were going to finish the season without another win. Their last win was in a tournament at Spring Hill before district play began (a 4-3 win over Redwater on March 1), and Kilgore, with just one senior and a very, very young lineup as rebuilding continues, lost 11 straight before finally breaking through Friday night.

"It definitely feels good," laughed coach Cassie Newell, in her second season.

KHS scored in the top of the first inning, then gave up three in the bottom of the inning. Kilgore scored again, picking up a run in the second, another in the third, and two in the fourth. Jacksonville did score in the bottom of the sixth, but couldn't catch the Lady 'Dogs.

"We played really well, all the way around," Newell graded.

The Lady Bulldogs had seven hits. Brianna Sanders had two of them, and scored twice. Meagan Youngblood had a hit. Jalissa Baggett, the team's catcher, had a hit, as well, as did shortstop Whitney Brown and first baseman Candice Meadows, and the team got a 2-RBI double from right fielder Skye Wyatt. "She hit a rope to leftcenter field," Newell said.

Three of the five runs were scored by the bottom of the lineup, Newell said.

Youngblood got the win on the mound. She recorded four strikeouts. She had good defense behind her, too - the Lady Bulldogs committed two errors early, but then had a double play that was a near triple play in the bottom of the second.

Kilgore (5-17 overall, 1-11 in district play) has just two games left: at Pine Tree on Tuesday night at 6 p.m., and at home against Hallsville on Friday, also a 6 p.m. start. Whitney Brown, the team's only senior, will be honored right before the game.