Gilmer Earns 4-2 Win Over 16-3A Rival Spring Hill in Game 1

LONGVIEW -- In a playoff matchup featuring District 16-3A rivals, the Gilmer Buckeyes took a 4-2 win over Spring Hill in Game 1 of their Class 3A Region II quarterfinal series at Pine Tree's Field of Dreams on Friday.

Game 2 will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at Pine Tree, and Game 3 would follow if necessary. The winner will take on the winner of the Melissa and Argyle series.

Gilmer's Slade Morris had a go-ahead RBI double as part of a three-run fifth inning and sophomore Colin Hardin pitched a complete game, giving up two runs on five hits for the Buckeyes (24-9).

"It was a good outing for Colin (Hardin)," said Gilmer coach Lonnie Henry. "Last Friday he struggled a little bit, so it was good for him to come out and keep his pitch count down. He threw a lot of strikes, got some ground-ball outs and some fly-ball outs. It was just a great outing by him."

Spring Hill (16-13) jumped on board first with a Ben Hollas RBI single in the third, and added another run in the fifth on a Hollas sac fly.

Gilmer answered in the next inning by scoring three runs -- two unearned -- off Spring Hill starter Trevor Martin. Mitch Lange scored on a wild pitch, Blevin Burns slid safely into home on an errant throw to the catcher on a fielder's choice by Matt Williams, and Morris' double gave the Buckeyes the lead for good.

Burns' RBI single in the sixth capped Gilmer's scoring. Burns finished 2-for-3 with an RBI and run scored.

This is the fourth time that Gilmer and Spring Hill have squared off this season. The Buckeyes won the first game with the Panthers in the Atlanta tournament earlier in the year, and the two teams split their games in district play.

"You have to think it's good momentum heading into Game 2, but the thing is they've got (Nathan Methvin, 6-1, 1.83 ERA) going tomorrow and he's their No. 1. We've got to come out ready to play."