SPORTS
Jackrabbits beat Boyd in bi-district playoff series
The Bowie Jackrabbits came through after three days of playing former district opponent Boyd in the bi-district round of the playoffs.
After a disastrous first game in which the Jackrabbits lost 13-7, Bowie won a lightning delayed home game that finished Saturday morning 8-5 and turned around to beat the Yellowjackets 14 hours later, 8-3 on the road.
The first game was played on Thursday at Boyd. The Yellowjackets took the lead in the first inning. A two out double and an error in the outfield with the next batter led to Boyd taking a 1-0 lead.
The Jackrabbits tied the score in the top of the third inning as Kash Stockard led off with a double. Singles from Evan Kennedy and Taylor Pigg followed to drive Stockard home, but a double play and a pop out to the pitcher kept the game tied 1-1.
The Yellowjackets took advantage of three free bases, a base hit and two errors to score three runs and take a 4-1 lead after three innings. While the third inning was rough, the fourth inning was excruciating.
Bowie’s pitchers had trouble finding the strike zone, walking six batters in the inning and hitting a batter. Add it a couple of hits and sacrifice flys and Boyd scored six runs to break the game open and go up 10-1.
Fearing a run rule outcome, the Jackrabbits offense started to put some things together. Facing a new pitcher, a leadoff walk and single was followed by Payton Price double to right field to drive in a run. Braden Armstrong drove in a run with a single followed by Weston Partridge, who grounded out to the shortstop but not before cutting the lead to 10-4.
Boyd made up those runs next time up to bat. Three base hits and walk scored three runs, but Bowie avoided giving up one more run that would have ended the game early, trailing 13-4.
In the sixth inning after the first two batters got on base, Kennedy hit a triple that drove in a run. Pigg followed with a groundout to drive in another run to cut the lead to 13-7 where it stayed as Boyd won.
With 11 free bases given up and seven errors in the field, the Jackrabbits could only play better as they hosted the Yellowjackets the next night. With crowds from both teams coming out for support on Friday, the atmosphere was sure to be electric.
The beginning of the game was a bit of déjà vu for everyone as three walks, a base hit and an error allowed Boyd to go up 2-0 immediately. Bowie kept pace as a triple from Price and a sacrifice fly from Armstrong tied the game at 2-2 after the first inning.
The second and third innings did not have a lot of things happen on the field, but off the field there was plenty. The first lightning delay cleared the stands at 8:50 p.m. sometime in the second inning.
The rules say games can only be started again after the last lighting strike in a 10-mile radius was struck 30 minutes ago. After about 40 minutes, the game started.
The Yellowjackets scored on a passed ball strike three to go up 3-2, but the second lightning delay came about in the bottom of the third inning about an hour after the first one.
If spectators had not left from the first delay, this one convinced some the game was not finishing that night as constant rain came with it. After an hour and half delay the lightning cleared out for the game to continue thanks to the turf field and the rain staying light. Some hardcore fans stuck it out, but it was a far cry from the packed stands at the beginning of the game.
After the game resumed, Armstrong drove in another run on a sacrifice fly to tie the game at 3-3 at the end of the long third inning.
Pitcher Pigg struck out three batters in the fourth inning to keep Boyd at bay while Bowie’s offense came alive. After the first two batters got out, Stockard started things off by getting hit with a pitch. Kennedy followed with a drawn walk. Pigg loaded the bases with an infield single.
Still only one out away from squandering a bases loaded opportunity, Price came through with a single that drove in a run, giving the Jackrabbits their first lead not only of the game, but in the series.
Cooper Little followed with a huge bases clearing triple that broke the game open. Armstrong followed with a single to drive in Little, giving Bowie an 8-3 lead.
The Yellowjackets responded with a run in the fifth inning, but Pigg struck out his eighth and ninth batters of the game to keep the Jackrabbits lead breathable at 8-4. Bowie’s batters failed to get on base for the first time in the game.
Luis DeLeon came in to get the save. A leadoff walk is erased when the defense pulled its second double play of the game, both thanks to slide infractions from Boyd’s lead runners in those situations.
The Yellowjackets had one more chance in the seventh inning and scored a run thanks to a triple and a sacrifice fly, but that was all as Bowie won 8-5 as the clock struck 12:36 a.m. Saturday morning.
The third and deciding game was played later that day at Boyd.
The Jackrabbits struck first as Kennedy led off and got on second base thanks to an error. After a Pigg base hit moved him to third base, a passed ball allowed him to score as Bowie took a 1-0 lead from right off the bat.
A leadoff walk and a fielding error started things off ominously on defense for the Jackrabbits. The Yellowjackets got both runners home by the end of the inning to take a 2-1 lead.
The teams exchanged scoreless second innings before Bowie’s offense got things going again for an explosive third inning. Price and Armstrong drove in runs with back-to-back hits to retake the lead.
An error in left field allowed another run to score on a Partridge hit. With the bases loaded and two outs, DeLeon drew a walk for another run to give the Jackrabbits a 5-2 lead.
Boyd cut the lead to 5-3 with three base hits to end the third inning. The teams exchanged scoreless fourth and fifth innings. In the sixth inning, Pigg and Little each knocked in runs to increase Bowie’s lead to 7-3.
Boo Oakley came in to get the save for the Jackrabbits and only gave up a two out single to move the game into the final inning. With two outs, Kennedy hit a groundball to shortstop that was mishandled for an error that allowed another run to get by and increase Bowie’s lead to 8-3.
Despite giving up a one out walk and single, Oakley fielded a ball to get an out at third base and then struck out the final batter swinging to secure the save and the series.
To read the full story, pick up a copy of the mid-week edition of the Bowie News.
A solid day was had by Montague county high school tracksters at the State Track and Field Meet May 16 in Austin.
Bellevue’s Mattie Broussard had a pair of second place finishes in both the 800-meter run with a time of 2:21.41 and the 3,200-meter run with a time of 11:31.33. Broussard also was 4th in the 1,600-meters with a time of 5:22.18.
Her teammate Brylie Hager was 9th in the 110-meter hurdles in 19.93.
Forestburg’s Brenna Briles was 4th in the triple jump with a 35’9 1’2” leap. Her teammate Jocelyn Rich was 4th in the pole vault with a 9’ leap.
For further details, pick up a copy of Thursday’s Bowie News.
Bowie had a pair of top four finishes at the State Track and Field Meet May 14.
Sophomore Brayden Willett made it onto the medal stand, finishing 3rd in the 1,600-meter run with a time of 4:17.89. Bowie junior Tyler Richey finished 4th in the pole vault after a 14’6” effort.
The top two finishers from Holliday, also in Bowie’s district, celebrated with him after he crossed the finish line.
“It was kind of surprising,” Willett said about Ryder and Noah Stroman embracing him in a celebratory hug. “They’re good guys, so it was kind of cool.”
For further details, pick up a copy of Thursday’s Bowie News.
This past week found your outdoor scribe doing some rather mundane things such as yard work, vegetable gardening and repairs around the old cabin. Oh, I also wrapped up a couple of magazine articles. I always enjoy sharing my adventures with all of you in this column but to be perfectly honest, not nearly as much as my ‘field work’ hunting and fishing which is an iatrical part of any good outdoor column. If you’re like me, you much prefer reading about an adventure that you can also partake.
I am far more comfortable telling you about an outdoor experience I had firsthand knowledge of rather than the reporting part of my job as an outdoor communicator. So, this week, I’d do a bit of ‘reporting’ and share some planned adventures I have scheduled for the next couple weeks. By the time you’re reading this, I will have already been in the woods in quest of a fat ‘eater’ hog and probably have some freshly caught blue catfish fillets in the freezer, details will follow in the next couple of weeks.
I’ll kick things off early in the week heading down to my friend Jeff Rice’s Buck and Bass Ranch located on the upper end of Lake Fork. Jeff produces our weekly TV show “A Sportsman’s Life” which airs on Carbon TV and YouTube. Our plan is to film a segment of our show on stalking wild hogs. It will be a challenge to capture the shot with all the thick grown spring vegetation. It could happen fast and require a fast shot. We will be breaking in my CVA Cascade scout rifle in 308 caliber. This short barrel little rifle is light and easy to handle in thick cover, ideal for this type of hunting. Our plan is to hit the woods during the last couple hours of daylight and ease along the trails, watching and especially listening for hogs. Wild porkers are vocal critters and it’s common to hear them before seeing them. We will play the wind and attempt to get downwind and then close the distance for a shot but you can never guess how a hog hunt will unfold. Wild pork or not, Jeff and I always have a great time together and I plan to bring a side of wild pork ribs already slow smoked and covered in brown sugar and BBQ sauce with a side of camp baked beans!
After a tasty dinner we plan to get a good night’s sleep and head out the next morning for a planned fishing trip with guide David Hanson at Lake Tawakoni. Both channel and blue catfish are on a very good bite right but it’s hard to pass up those snow white blue catfish fillets when the bite is good. David is, to my knowledge, the most veteran catfish guide on the lake and became friends close to a quarter-century ago when we first began fishing
together. The plan is to use freshy cut shad in shallow water and target eater size blues weighing between 2 and about 10 pounds but as every catfish angler knows, it’s always possible to connect with a big trophy size blue when fishing Tawakoni.
Next week, I plan to join my long-time friend J.C. McCollough on the Red River below the Texoma dam. I’ve been fishing and hunting with J.C. for many years and look forward to getting with him again. I would describe this to catching big catfish in a barrel but in this case the deep holes in the river are comprised of several acres. The water level in the river below Texoma are dictated by the water release at the dam by the Corp of Engineers. When there is a current in the river, fish move upstream to feed on baitfish coming through the dam. When the water recedes, they fish move into the deeper holes where baitfish also seek refuge from the falling water. Catching will be fast paced with the chance to connect with some big fish as well as limits of “eater” size fish. We’ll be rigging with big live gizzard shad fished weightless on a free line, using medium spinning gear. The bigger fish will often nail the frisky live shad and the fresh cut bait is a sure way to connect with lots of smaller fish. There is something very exciting about fishing big live baits on a slack line. One minute your bait will be darting around and you will occasionally feel it taking up slack and the next when a big blue catfish grabs the bait, the rod will bow and the fight will be on. There is usually no ‘setting the hook’, by the time you feel the fish, it will already be hooked and making a strong run to the nearest submerged brush. Your job will be to keep the drag set just enough to keep pressure on the fish but not so much as to cause the line to break.
J.C. uses his airboat to access these deeper holes because of the very shallow water. While it’s not impossible to portage a kayak or small boat in the river, it often requires a few miles travel to get to these deep holes, this is best accomplished by experienced kayakers with plenty of endurance. There was a time when I was game for this type fishing but I much prefer to do my river fishing these days from a boat designed to negotiate the shallow waters.
Squirrel season is underway in many of the east Texas counties and there’s some pretty good fox squirrel hunting here close to home in Kaufman county and I’ve been thinking about how tasty a big skillet of smothered squirrel with rice, gravy and biscuits would be. Bream are on the beds now and my friend Edgar Cotton invited me to come do some ‘perch jerking’ with him and his son David-it’s in the plans! Well, hopefully next week I will have a ‘sure nuff’ adventure of two to relate you you-I’m ready to get some relief from all this work around the homeplace! LC
You can contact Tawakoni/Fork catfish guide David Hanson at 902-268-7391. Contact J.C. McCollough at 580-372-0320.
Listen to Luke’s podcast, “Catfish Radio” just about everywhere podcast are found.
-
NEWS3 years agoSuspect indicted, jailed in Tia Hutson murder
-
NEWS4 years ago2 hurt, 1 jailed after shooting incident north of Nocona
-
NEWS3 years agoSO investigating possible murder/suicide
-
NEWS3 years agoWreck takes the life of BHS teen, 16
-
NEWS3 years agoMurder unsolved – 1 year later Tia Hutson’s family angry, frustrated with no arrest
-
Show us something good9 years agoCountry music star children perform in Bowie
-
NEWS3 years ago
Sheriff’s office called out to infant’s death
-
100th Birthday4 years agoLooking back at the 1958 Centennial edition of The Bowie News