Gordo has big week at plate, winning four games by 10-plus runs

By BRIAN HAMILTON, Editor

The Green Wave finished spring break week with a record of 4-1 through Thursday evening, improving to 14-3 overall. The intriguing aspect of Gordo’s games this week is that assistant coach Tray Gilbert had the opportunity to coach against his father, James Gilbert, and alma mater, Geraldine, in two of the Green Wave’s games. Fortunately, for Gordo, the younger Gilbert’s team got the better end of the deal, with the Green Wave winning 11-1 and 16-1 over Gilbert’s former school.

“It was an opportunity for (Tray) to not only get to play his alma mater, but to get to coach against his dad,” Gordo head coach Jonathan Pate said. “That is something that very few people get to do. We had an opportunity for it to happen and  he and I got together and it worked out for both teams and he (James Gilbert) actually got to play three games.”

Gordo, 11 Geraldine, 1

Gordo capped off the spring break week with a dominating win over Geraldine on Tuesday afternoon. The Green Wave scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to end the game with an 11-1 win. Gordo scored three runs in the bottom of the second inning to make the score 3-0, as Nate Mullenix singled to center field to score Rhett Mullenix for the first run. Clay Herring then grounded out to second base, but Wells Perrigin was able to score a run to make the score 2-0, followed by a fly out by Drew Porter that Nate Mullenix scored on after tagging up.

The Green Wave would take a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning when Josh Darling was walked with the bases loaded, sending Carson Webb across home plate for the score.

Gordo scored three more runs in the bottom of the fifth, as Rhett Mullenix scored on a passed ball, followed by a fly ball to center by Porter, which scored Cade Junkin and Ben Capps for a 7-0 advantage.

Geraldine finally got on the board in the top of the sixth inning to make the score 7-1 going into the bottom of the inning. Nate Mullenix led off the inning with a fly ball to left field that scored Lucas Wilburn to make the score 8-1. Junkin then singled on a ground ball to score Rhett Mullenix. Lawson Neel was then hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to score Capps and made the score 10-1. Porter was then hit by a pitch, sending Nate Mullenix across the plate and ending the game due to the 10-run rule.

Ben Capps picked up the win for Gordo, as he lasted six innings, allowing six hits and one run while striking out five.

“I thought we swung the bats well this week and we’ve seen some good arms from other teams,” Pate said. “Our pitching, so far, has been really good, also. You go back and you look at our pitching, even against New Hope (a 6-5 loss) our pitching did well.”

New Hope, 6 Gordo, 5

The Green Wave lost a heartbreaking game Tuesday afternoon as New Hope hit a two-run homer in the fifth inning to break a 4-4 tie and go ahead 6-4. Gordo was unable to come from behind in the game, however, falling to the Trojans 6-5.

Gordo took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning when Lucas Wilburn hit a ground ball to center field to score Cable Mullenix. Later in the same inning, Ben Capps singled to center to score Josh Darling and Wilburn for a 3-0 lead.

New Hope wasted no time responding, however, as Ryan Burt hit a home run to right field to make the score 3-2 after two innings. The Trojans would then tie the game at 3-3 as Stallone Shelton reached base on an error, allowing Payton Springfield to score and tie the game.

The Green Wave took a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the third inning when Wilburn hit a home run of his own. Once again, New Hope would answer in the fourth inning as Jonathan Whittington scored on an error to make the score 4-4.

Rye McGlothin hit a two-run home run to center field to give the Trojans a 6-4 lead in the top of the fifth. Josh Darling grounded out in the bottom of the sixth, but Lawson Neel was able to score to cut the deficit to 6-5.

Gordo was unable to tie the game, however, as they came up short by one run.

“I didn’t feel like (the home run) deflated us and I don’t think the kids felt that way,” Pate said. “We came back and we scored one more run and we ended up having a run on second in the seventh, we just couldn’t get him in.”

Nate Mullenix took the loss for the Green Wave, as he pitched five innings and allowed nine hits and six runs while striking out seven. Wilburn pitched two innings in relief for Gordo. Jonathan Whittington picked up the win for New Hope, lasting three innings and allowing six hits and four runs while striking out two.

“Any time you play those guys, you know you’re going to have to play seven solid innings,” Pate said of New Hope. “That’s what you want. You want your kids to have to compete, and if it goes eight, it goes eight. I think that game was very good for us because we saw a quality team. I think it helps us on down the road as well.”