Balk-Off: Overruled call sends Choctaws to district title game

 




Jason Peevyhouse

Editor, JP Productions Sports

On a night that saw multiple delays and minimal offense by either team, a play at the plate with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning proved to be the difference, giving Dyer County a 1-0 win in extra innings over South Gibson on Saturday night in Newbern.

With the game going into extra innings and the two teams combining for only nine hits between them, Dyer County starter Everett Kuykendall and the Choctaw defense were able to get through the Hornets in order in the top of the eighth inning to send the game to the bottom of the frame still in a scoreless tie.


South Gibson’s Cade Allen got a ground out to open the bottom of the frame then struck out his 12th batter of the night before giving up a two-out double by David Headtke. Choctaw junior Talon Messer then singled a 1-1 pitch past the shortstop to give the Choctaws two on with two out. With a 0-2 count to Nick Epperson, Headtke broke for home causing Allen to throw home quickly. Headtke was ruled out on the play but Dyer County appealed to the field umpire, claiming Allen balked in the course of the play. After a brief conference, Allen was ruled to have balked which meant Headtke was allowed to advance home on the play to give the Choctaws the 1-0 win and put Dyer County in the District 13-3A Championship Game.


After Dyer County worked around a two-out double from Allen in the top of the first, South Gibson was able to get through the bottom of the first after a leadoff single by Jack Smith to get out of the opening inning with the game still scoreless.

Both teams managed one-out singles in the second as well but neither proved able to cash in on those hits with the game remaining scoreless after two innings.

South Gibson was able to get hits in the next two innings but the Hornets weren’t able to get a run in either inning. Allen and the Hornet defense, in the meantime, seven straight Choctaws before surrendering a one-out single to Weston Sims and a hit batter in the fifth before a pair of strikeouts sent the game into the sixth still scoreless.

The Hornets got Alford on with an error with two outs in the sixth and Bradberry, the next batter, drew a walk before a ground out ended the frame.


Dyer County was able to get a one-out single from Messer then looked to get some offense going with a Daniels single only to have the latter thrown out trying to advance on the throw on a close play to end the sixth inning.

After a hit batter with two outs kept things interesting in the top of the seventh, Allen and the Hornets retired the side in order in the bottom of the frame to send the game into extra innings.

Messer had a pair of singles to lead the way in the win for the Choctaws while Allen had a double and a single in the loss for the Hornets.


Kuykendall picked up the win on the mound, allowing only four hits while striking out four in the eighth inning. Allen allowed seven hits and one run against 12 strikeouts.

The win puts Dyer County in the District 13-3A Championship Game scheduled for Tuesday, May 6 at 5 p.m. The Choctaws are waiting on the results of Monday’s consolation games for their opponent as Dyersburg and Crockett County play at 4:30 p.m. while South Gibson will take on the winner later that evening.

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