Mount Pleasant Outlasts Kilgore in Extra Innings at Hallsville’s Reich Builders Classic

HALLSVILLE -- For the second time in as many days, the Kilgore Bulldogs led a late lead slip away at the Seventh Annual Reich Builders Classic.

Mount Pleasant scored twice in the bottom of the eighth inning to take a 5-4 win over Kilgore on Friday on the second day of the three-day event at The Ballpark in Hallsville.

Kilgore took a 4-3 lead into the bottom of the eighth. Starting pitcher Benny Colbert got the first out, but then consecutive singles by Riley Greenlee and Tehron Rogers chased him from the game.

Cooper Coldiron came on in relief and allowed a single to center off the bat of Luke Hill. Courtesy runner Thomas Hayes scored, and when the throw from center field sailed over third base, Rogers crossed home for the game-winning run.

The misplay in center field was one of four Kilgore errors on the day.

Colbert suffered the loss, allowing five runs (three earned) on six hits with five strikeouts and four walks in 7 1-3 innings.

Mount Pleasant's Cullen Grubbs got the win despite allowing Kilgore to take a 4-3 lead in the top of the eighth on a Nico Borrego RBI single. Tigers starter Ryan Kelly surrendered three runs on 10 hits with eight strikeouts and one walk in seven innings.

Jordan Raney homered, doubled and scored twice to lead Mount Pleasant at the plate, while Monty James was 2-for-4.

Borrego and Colbert each had two hits and an RBI for Kilgore, which had 12 hits for the game, including doubles from Colbert, Coldiron and Q. Brewster.

Raney's solo homer to left field gave Mount Pleasant a 1-0 lead in the first.

Austin Bullard's sacrifice fly RBI in the second and Colbert's run-scoring single in the third put Kilgore on top, 2-1.

Zach Ervin evened the game for Mount Pleasant when he scored on a wild pitch in the fourth.

Jack Johnston's pinch-RBI single in the top of sixth gave Kilgore a 3-2 lead, before Mount Pleasant forced extra innings when Raney crossed home after a fielding error by the Bulldogs' first baseman with two outs in the bottom of the seventh.