KILGORE – After a tough weekend at Driller Park, the Panthers returned on Tuesday night to play against the Kilgore Bulldogs, and once again the Panthers had trouble at the plate and on the mound, losing 5-1.

Two runs in the third inning as Kilgore rattled off three straight hits, the final an RBI-double by Jeffery Price to take a 3-1 lead. Two more runs in the final, and the Bulldogs at-bat sealed the win..

Kilgore (1-8) opened the first inning with a run from Matt Dickey, scoring on the lone Bullard error of the game.

The Panthers answered back, as Stephen Langston started the third inning with a single. Pinch-runner, Kirk Bryant stole second base, moved up on a fielder’s choice and scored on a passed ball.

Brandon Terry picked up the in on the mound, striking out four, walking none, and giving in to three Bullard hits and one run in 47 pitches in four innings of work.

Bullard left the bases loaded in the fifth inning. Nolan Rose went 2-for-3 to lead the Panthers at the plate, while Trevor Rumbelow, Koby Greene, and Tanner Bailey joined Langston with singles, to account for the six Bullard hits.

Nick Rumbelow took the loss on the mound, throwing 59 pitches for four strikeouts, one walk, and surrendering four hits and three runs, in his four innings on the hill.

“You have got to hand it to them, they made some really big catches in the outfield that saved at least four runs,” siad head coach, Ronnie Dent.

“They have got a real young ball club that is gonna be tough the next few years,” Dent continued. “I know they have had a rough start, but they have a great coach and they were the better team today.”

Bullard played Arlington Pantego on Thursday, in the I-20 Classic in Van, in what should prove to be a test for the Panthers, and the possible test of the season.

The Vandals will have visited Bullard this past Tuesday, after deadline, before Lindale comes to Panther Field on Friday night, for a 7 p.m. first pitch.

If the rotation goes as the norm, it could face off Nick Rumbelow against one of East Texas’ top hitting homeruns kings, Justin Copeland.

As Rumbelow was wooing scouts from college and pros alike this summer, with his pitching prowess, Copeland won several homerun contests in simular showcases as Rumbelow.

Non-District Baseball
At Driller Park, Kilgore
Kilgore 3, Bullard 1
Bullard 010 000 0 - 1 6	2
Kilgore 102 002 x - 5 7	1

Nick Rumbelow, Tanner Bailey (5), and Stephen Langston. Brandon Terry, Brandon Lee (5), Ty Gossage (6), and Jeffery Price. W – Terry. L - Rumbelow. 2B– B: . K: Jeffery Price, Ty Gossage. SAC – K: Nathan Mendenhall. SB – B: Nolan Rose. K: Matt Dickey. RECORDS – Bullard 7-4. Kilgore 1-8 NEXT UP – Lindlae at Bullard, Fri., 7 p.m. Panther Field.