SPORTS
Jackrabbits beat Wall in regional quarterfinal series
The Bowie Jackrabbits won their regional quarterfinals series against Wall on Saturday after three games.
After winning game one on Thursday 9-5, the Eagles came back to win game two 6-3 before the Jackrabbits run-ruled them in game three 12-0 in six innings.
Wall came into the series as favorites, ranked 10th in the state in 3A despite the team being made up of mostly underclassmen. Bowie showed that type of acclaim would not matter in the first game, leading for most of it before retaking the lead in extra innings to win. After taking Friday off, the teams got together again to play game two on Saturday.
The Jackrabbits hoped they could close the series out with a win and not have it come down to a winner-take-all game three. Kawlyer Swearingin got the start on the mound. Despite giving up a walk and later a balk to move the runner into scoring position, no runs were scored from the Eagles in the first inning.
Bowie put a bit more pressure, with Carson Sanders and Kynan DeMoss drawing two walks. Later Devin Melton hit a groundball to the shortstop that induced an error that allowed one run to score and put the Jackrabbits up 1-0.
Wall got that run back in the second inning. A one out double and a passed ball put a runner on third base with one out. A groundout allowed the runner to score and tie the game at 1-1.
Bowie retook in the lead in the same inning. Logan Hutson got on base with one out thanks to an error at first base. Brody Armstrong followed with a single to left field. An error followed with the fielder trying to scoop the ball up off the ground that allowed runner A.J. Whatley to score after initially stopping at third base. The Jackrabbits led 2-1.
Wall would not go away though. A single and two walks loaded the bases up with one out in the third inning. The next batter hit into a fielder’s choice and was out at first, but it allowed one run to score.
A base hit into right field allowed another run to score for the Eagles. A blooper that just squeezed out of a diving Bowie fielder’s glove allowed an additional run to score, putting Wall up 4-2.
The Jackrabbits looked poised to respond as DeMoss led off with a single and Colton Richey and Swearingin drew walks with two outs to load the bases up. Unfortunately, the next batter popped up to the pitcher for out three.
Bowie responded with its first 1-2-3 inning of the game, with Swearingin striking out two of the three batters he faced. The Jackrabbits again had a chance to score with Armstrong leading off with a single and Sanders later drawing a walk with one out. Unfortunately, the next two batters hit harmless fly balls for outs.
In the fifth inning Wall added to its lead. After a leadoff single, a bunt induced an error to put runners at the corners with no outs. Following a groundout, the next batter hit a lineout to second base for out two. Trying to turn a double play, the throw was off and it allowed the runner at second base to score and put the Eagles up 5-2.
The Jackrabbits had no answer with their bats as the game moved to the sixth inning. Swearingin and the defense had another 1-2-3 inning, with two of the batters striking out. With the bats, Cade Thompson hit a double with two outs to try and spark something, but to no avail as the game went into the final inning.
Richey came in to pitch the final inning. A single and double were hit by the Hawks with one out. A deep fly ball to left field for out two allowed one runner to come in and score to make it 6-2. After a walk, the next batter flew out to centerfield for out three.
Bowie would need a big inning in its final three outs, but the team had put up four runs late in game one two days before. DeMoss and Fallis led off with back-to-back singles to get things going.
Following a fielder’s choice out at second base, Richey hit a deep fly ball for out two that still allowed one run to score and cut the lead to 6-3. Unfortunately, the next batter grounded out to end the game. Wall had tied the series at 1-1.
Despite not playing their best, Bowie had to quickly turn around and play game three 30 minutes after the end of game two. It was a different type of game with winner-take-all on the line.
Neither team had any luck getting anyone on base in the first inning. Bowie had Melton hit a one out single in the second inning only for the next batter to ground out into a double-play.
The Jackrabbits returned the favor in the same inning. The Hawks got two runners on with base hits, only for the inning to end with a double-play from Bowie.
The Jackrabbit bats and some mistakes from Wall got Bowie going in the third inning. Swearingin led off with a double. A sacrifice bunt allowed Swearingin to advance to third base.
Armstrong then hit a groundball that was too hot for the third basemen to handle for an error that led to the first run. Armstrong was able to advance to second on the same play before Thompson drove him in on a single.
Following Sanders hitting a single, DeMoss drove in another run on a base hit. Fallis then grounded out to the shortstop, but it allowed the fourth run to come in to score and put the Jackrabbits up 4-0.
Thompson got the start on the mound and did not allow another base runner in the third or fourth inning. In the fifth inning he allowed his only walk of the game with one out, but was rewarded by his defense again as they pulled off another inning ending double-play.
The sixth inning saw Bowie have an even bigger stretch with its bats. Melton hit a triple with one out.
A passed ball later allowed him to score. A hit batter and two drawn walks allowed the bases to get loaded. Armstrong came through with an infield single to score another run.
A drawn walk and hit batter from Thompson and Sanders allowed two more runs to score. DeMoss then hit a single up the middle to score another run. Fallis followed with a single to right field that drove in two runs. Finally, Melton drove in the final run of the inning on a sacrifice fly ball to right field to make it 12-0.
The Hawks were at a loss as they went through four pitchers in that same inning as the game slipped away.
Up by 10 or more after five innings would signal a stop to the game unless Wall could score three runs or more by the end of the inning.
Thompson and Bowie had too much momentum and retired the three batters with little trouble to end the game.
The Jackrabbits won game three 12-0 and the series 2-1.
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.
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