WILDCATS DOWN KINSTON: Florala blows past Bulldogs in area battle

Published 12:05 am Friday, March 22, 2019

The Florala Wildcats fought back for a 13-3 victory over the Kinston Bulldogs on Thursday night in area play in Florala.

Kinston got a single to start the game and later scored the first run of the game off of a passed ball.

In the bottom of the first inning, Jacob Hammac doubled with two outs and then scored on a wild pitch to tie the game.

In the bottom of the second inning, the Wildcats took the lead when Hunter Truman drove in Logan West.

Caleb Wood then came through with a triple to put the Wildcats up 3-1.

After giving up a run in the top of the third, the Wildcats came back strong in the bottom of the third.

Truman laced a double down the line that allowed two runs to come in to score.

The Wildcats loaded the bases in the bottom of the fifth inning with three hit batters and then a double from Hammac put the Wildcats up 10-3.

Wood stayed on the mound in the top of the sixth inning and he sat the Bulldogs down in order with a ground out and a pair of strike outs.

West was hit by a pitch to start the bottom of the sixth inning and the scored on a sacrifice bunt from Lee Stewart.

Justin Paul followed with an RBI single to lift the Wildcats to a 13-3 win.

“I thought we came out and hit the ball better than we have hit all year,” Florala head coach Tyler Zessin said. “Kinston has got a really young ball club, but they are really fundamental. I knew coming in we were going to have to hit the ball to have a chance and I thought we did a good job doing that. On the mound, Caleb Wood was dealing. I’m proud of that senior. I’m really proud of the way this team has come together for this area win.”

On Tuesday, the Wildcats beat the Bulldogs for the first time in five years.

“It really started Tuesday when we went to Kinston,” Zessin said. “Kinston is a team that this group has never beaten. I knew when I got this job that we would have to beat Kinston to have a chance at an area championship. Beating Kinston at Kinston really made them think in their head, ‘We can do this. We are a team that can win an area championship.’”