The Bowie Jackrabbits battled Holliday on Tuesday night in a three hour extra innings epic.
Unfortunately, it was the Eagles that came away with the 2-1 win after 10 innings of play to give the Jackrabbits their third district loss.
Bowie was coming off a loss at Jacksboro in another tightly contested, low-scoring game. The Jackrabbits split their games against Holliday last year, but would need to beat the Eagles twice in the final two and half weeks of the regular season to have a shot at the district title if they got some help.
Colton Richey got the start on the mound for Bowie and immediately found himself in trouble. After walking the first two batters of the game, Richey and the defense somehow fought their way out of the jam in a way that would become common place for the Jackrabbits all night.
Following a strikeout, a deep fly ball for out two moved both runners into scoring position. Richey then fielded a weak hit ball and easily tossed it to first base for out three.
Bowie provided some pressure on offense in the first inning as well. Carson Sanders drew a walk with one out and two batters later Jake Fallis hit a single to put two runners on base with two outs.
Unfortunately, the Jackrabbits could not take advantage as the next batter flew out to centerfield for out three.
The second inning saw Bowie have no trouble on defense as Richey retired all three batters he faced.
With the bats, again the Jackrabbits found a way to get two runners on base. Brody Armstrong hit a single with one out. Following a strikeout, Logan Hutson drew a walk. Bowie could not take advantage as another strikeout followed for out three.
Richey found himself in another deep hole of his own creation. After the leadoff batter hit a single, a walk and a hit batter followed to load the bases up with one out. Richey then found himself behind in the count 3-0 and threatening to walk in a run.
He dug deep and ended up striking out the batter. The next batter then popped out to the catcher in foul territory for out three.
Bowie got some help with Holliday mistakes in its at-bats. Fallis was able to get on base with two outs after hitting a groundball that got by the first basemen for an error.
Troy Kesey followed with a single. Cade Thompson then hit a groundball to the shortstop that looked like it would be out three. The throw to first base went wide for another error, allowing Fallis to come around and score, giving Bowie a 1-0 lead.
The Jackrabbits had a chance to score more with two runners in scoring position, but the next batter struck out for out three.
The fourth inning saw Holliday get its leadoff batter on base with a single. Two groundouts followed, one moving the runner to second base and into scoring position. Thankfully, Richey induced another groundout and the defense delivered for out three.
Bowie batters had no luck getting anything going as all three hit balls right to Eagle players for routine outs.
The fifth inning saw Holliday get on the board quickly. The leadoff batter hit a triple into right field. The runner was then driven in on a single that followed to tie the game 1-1.
Following a mound visit and after a fly out and a single that followed, Bowie Coach Tyler Price inserted Kawlyer Swearingin in to pitch.
Swearingin was coming off a four inning relief appearance in the previous game against Jacksboro where his only run given up came because of an error.
He immediately got himself in more trouble as the first batter hit a single that moved the lead runner to third base despite a close throw, which allowed the batter to reach second base.
With two runners in scoring position and only one out, momentum was looking to shift in Holliday’s direction if it could just get the lead. Swearingin and the Bowie defense found a way as a groundball hit to the shortstop led to an inning sealing double-play to get out of the jam.
Bowie was hoping to try and provide some sort of pressure on offense to respond. Sanders led off and hit a single to get on base. Unfortunately, he would then get picked off in the next at-bat. A groundout and strikeout followed to move to the sixth inning.
Swearingin struck out the first two batters, but again found himself in trouble as the next two batters drew walks. A passed ball would then move both runners into scoring position and again the Eagles looked poised to take the lead.
Swearingin again got out of the jam thanks to the defense as a fly out to right field landed into the mitt of his teammate for out three.
Holliday made a change on the mound. While Cooper Turner’s pitching had only allowed one un-earned run so far, the Jackrabbits had been able to threaten to get base runners on base in all but one inning so far.
Grant Cox came in for relief and he proved to be a tougher challenge for Bowie hitter for the rest of the game, who either had trouble touching is fastball or getting fouled by his breaking ball.
The Jackrabbits failed to get any base runners on as two of the three batters struck out to move to the seventh inning.
Swearingin answered with his best pitched inning of the game, striking out two of the three batters, while the other batter grounded out to second base.
Despite the first two batters striking out, Bowie set itself up to maybe win in regulation. Swearingin hit a single and Sanders followed with a drawn walk. Unfortunately, a third strikeout followed to end the seventh as the game went into extra innings.
After retiring the first two batters, the Eagles were able to get one runner on base with a blooping single into the shallow part of right field. Swearingin would not let it fester though as he struck out the second batter of the inning for out three.
Bowie batters had less luck as two of the three batters struck out and the other batter grounded out for out three.
The ninth inning got off to a bad start that looked like it would spell the end for the Jackrabbits. Holliday’s leadoff batter again got on base by drawing a walk. A line drive hit into left field followed for a hit.
Fallis made the throw to third base to try and get the out on the lead runner there. It was a close call and initially the runner was called out. After some discussion, the umpires changed their mind and the Bowie crowd and Coach Price were furious.
After a heated discussion did nothing to change the officials mind further, the Jackrabbits had to deal with having two runners in scoring position with no outs.
Following a strikeout, Bowie elected to intentionally walk the next batter to load the bases up with only one out.
Swearingin and the defense again dug itself out of the hole. He struck out the next batter for out two. It wasn’t looking good on the next hitter as he was down 3-0 and threatening to walk in a run.
He came back to make it a full count and the ball was into foul territory. Second basemen DeMoss made a great play on the ball for out three to give Bowie a big emotional lift to get out of the situation without giving up any runs.
Unfortunately, that lift did not extend over to the at-bats. Besides Hutson drawing a walk with two outs, two batters were struck out and another grounded out to move to the 10th inning.
Following a strike out, Swearingin walked the next batter to put one runner on base that would go on to make all the difference. Swearingin struck out the next batter for out two.
Even with the base runner stealing second base, the situation still was not as dire as Bowie had been dealing with.
He was still in scoring position and the next batter hit a double into the gap in the outfield to drive him. Holliday now led 2-1 after four innings of a tied ball game and plenty of chances squandered thanks to the clutch pitching and defense of the Jackrabbits.
Swearingin and the defense made sure not to make things any worse as the next batter flew out to centerfield for out three.
Hoping with the pressure of the game being on the line down one would spur into action the bats that had had trouble threatening to score for the last several innings, Bowie was hoping for some come back heroics.
Surely after all of the times the Jackrabbits had MacGyvered their way out of not giving up runs on defense during the now three hour game, some of that magic would bleed over to their bats with the game on the line.
The team had come through in a similar fashion last year to beat Holliday, but a year later it would not come to pass.
A strikeout, a fly out to centerfield and a three strike strikeout swinging ended the game with the Eagles winning 2-1.

To read the full story, pick up a copy of the weekend edition of the Bowie News.