By Brian Hamilton, Sports Correspondent
Gordo made it through a hard fought Game 1 against Wicksburg, having to come back twice to defeat the Panthers. In Game 2, the sledding was no easier for the Green Wave, as they found themselves tied at 4-4 going into the top of the seventh inning. Gordo was able to come through in pressure situations both times to sweep the series against Wicksburg and advance to the Class 3A state semifinals for the third consecutive year.
Gordo, 9 Wicksburg, 8
Wicksburg drew first blood in the top of the second inning when Jared Faulk scored on an error by Gordo left fielder Drew Porter to take a 1-0 lead. The Green Wave would even the score at 1-1 in the bottom of the inning on a line drive single by Ridge Wood.
The Panthers then took a 2-1 lead in the top of the third inning on a Carson Brannon single, scoring Seth Rogers. Davis Vails then hit Dylan Hogan with a pitch with the bases loaded, sending Ethan Wells across home plate for a 3-1 lead. Wicksburg would lead 4-1 after the top of the third. Gordo would score one run in the bottom of the third on an RBI by Cabel Mullenix to cut the deficit to 4-2. However, the Panthers would stretch the lead back to three runs when Wells hit a sacrifice fly in the top of the fourth inning, scoring Tucker Snell for a 5-2 lead.
The Green Wave would pull even again in the bottom of the fifth inning on a solo home run by Collin Herring and RBIs by Cabel Mullenix and Joshua Darling, knotting the score at 5-5.
Once again, Wicksburg would respond in the top of the sixth inning, taking a 6-5 lead on a Brannon double and an 8-5 lead on a Faulk ground ball that scored Wells and Reece Martin.
Gordo then mounted a furious rally in the bottom of the sixth, beginning with a Vails single that sent Porter home to make the score 8-6. Nick Pounders hit a ground ball to left field to score Herring and cut the deficit to 8-7. The Green Wave would take their first lead of the game when Cabel Mullenix hit a double, sending Vails and Pounders home for a 9-8 lead that would be the difference in the game. Pounders entered the game in relief in the top of the seventh, securing the win.
“We didn’t play really good defense right off the bat, but Davis Vails pitched for us and threw a really, really good ballgame,” Gordo head coach Jonathan Pate said. “Nick Pounders ended up closing the ball game and we were fortunate to win that one.”