Staff report
BOWIE — The Gainesville Leopards dropped both of their games at the Bowie Invitational Thursday, falling to host Bowie by the score of 5-3 and the Wichita Falls Hirschi Huskies, 7-6.
Against Bowie, the game was tied 1-1 through two innings before the Jackrabbits plated two runs in the third inning to take a two-run lead (3-1).
Bowie then stretched that lead to 4-1 in the fourth with a run, but the Leopards cut into the lead in th fifth inning when Calvin Calhoun scored on a fielder’s choice. Bowie then led just 4-2.
The Jackrabbits tacked on another run in the sixth to take a 5-2 lead. Meanwhile, the Leopards scored their final run in the seventh when Blake Boyter crossed the plate.
While the Leopards scored three runs thanks to a flurry of errors by the Bowie defense, Gainesville managed just one hit, that coming off the bat of Denzel Johnson.
Against Wichita Falls Hirschi, the Leopards held a 2-0 lead after the first inning thanks to runs scored by Boyter and Johnson.
The Leopards eventually stretched that lead to 5-1 through five innings after Johnson plated Boyter and Michael Clare with a double. Johnson later scored on an error.
But the Hirschi Huskies put on a furious rally in the final two innings, scoring two runs in the sixth and four in the seventh for the one-run victory.
Defensive errors for the Leopards were a key ingredient for the late slip up against the Huskies.
Gainesville is now 2-5 on the season.
The Leopards continue play in the Bowie tournament today and Saturday.
Gainesville also will play Monday in Madill before returning home to play Bowie in a make-up game at 1 p.m. Tuesday at Locke Field, weather permitting.
