THS tops Phillips, misses playoffs

By Staff
Scot Beard
THARPTOWN – The Tharptown baseball team went on a rollercoaster ride of emotions this week as its playoff fate was decided.
The Wildcats needed Phillips to lose three games for Tharptown to make the playoffs. Phillips had not lost an area game all season.
The Wildcats handed Phillips its first loss Monday and returned home Tuesday to hand the Bears a 10-4 loss.
Tharptown's Jacob Parker and Kelby Hallmark scored in the first inning to give the Wildcats an early advantage. Phillips tied the game in the top of the second.
Tharptown regained the lead in the bottom of the second when Mackinney Flannigan and Nathan Gray scored.
The Bears cut the deficit to one in the third, but Tharptown answered again in the bottom of the inning to maintain a two run lead at 5-3.
The Wildcats increased their lead with one run in the fourth, but Phillips answered with a solo homerun in the fifth.
Leading 6-4 in the bottom of the sixth inning, Nathan Gray singled and moved to second on a single by Parker. Kelby Hallmark advanced the runners with a sacrifice before Trevor Hallmark hit a double to drive both runners home.
Brandon Cothrum and Wade Berryman both drew walks to load the bases before Flannigan doubled to score Trevor Hallmark and Cothrum for the final runs of the game.
With the sweep of Phillips, the Wildcats needed the Bears to lose to Mount Hope.
Following the game, Phillips boarded a bus to Mount Hope to decide the area. Phillips won the game and clinched the top spot in Class 1A, Area 15 with an 8-2 area record. Vina, also 8-2 in area play, clinched second place. Tharptown finished third with a 7-3 area record.