HS Baseball: Electrifying Finish Sees Willis Walk-off Comeback Win In Bottom of the Seventh

WILLIS, TX -- The Willis Wildkats defended their home diamond in a pulse-pounding comeback in the seventh inning to defeat the Grand Oaks Grizzlies by a score of 4-3.

Less than a week ago, a jarring loss to the Oak Ridge War Eagles showed the Wildkats how vulnerable they could be on an off day. They aimed to rebound against the middle-of-the-pack Grizzlies, but a defensive struggle saw both teams equally matched.

Matthew DeAnda and Mason Kinchen settled in early as the starting pitchers for their respective teams during a stretch that saw the Wildkats take a slight edge on the scoreboard.

A lead-off walk in the bottom of the second from Kash Abke was followed by an attempt to get additional runs on the board by a single and a pinch-runner in scoring position. Unfortunately for Willis, the runner behind Abke was thrown out in a double play that jeopardized the potential run.

Luckily, batting at the bottom of the lineup from Keaton Jeffcoat was enough to buy Abke some room on his way to securing the opening run and a 1-0 Willis lead after the second.

By comparison to the momentum built by Willis, Grand Oaks struggled mightily to find their swings at the plate due to reliable pitches from DeAnda.

Scoreless outings from the Grizzlies through four-straight innings only saw one instance where a Grizzly runner reached scoring position. But even with the bags loaded in the top of the fourth, DeAnda and the Willis defense found a way to escape without surrendering any runs.

In an exclusive interview with The Woodlands Online Sports, Willis Head Coach Brett Washburn discussed the impact of DeAnda on the mound in keeping the delicate lead intact.

“A lot of credit goes to our pitching staff. Matt [DeAnda] and Xane [Burns] didn’t really let a lot phase them,” said Washburn. “They never really do. They’re always very chill guys. They’re playing hackey-sack and relaxing. It keeps their minds from racing.”

However, the run support for DeAnda and the Wildkat defense was kept dead silent following Willis' short run to claim the lead in the bottom of the second.

Revamped defensive play and a confident Kinchen kept the Wildkats from getting a runner into scoring position for the next four consecutive innings. The previously dependable bats were turned into a non-factor in the face of multiple double plays and inconsistent swings forced by Grand Oaks.

“Most of it had to do with Kinchen. I don’t think we really had a barrel within those four innings,” said Washburn. “He was starting to locate all of his pitches, which kept us off balance.”

With Kinchen and the defense keeping the Wildkats quiet after the solo run, it was time for the Grizzlies to mount their best scoring effort of the night to jump into their first lead.

A lead-off single from Trey Brandon got the gears turning for Grand Oaks in the top of the fifth. A follow-up out soured the inning, but a sequence of three singles in a row and RBIs from Sebastian Segura and Collin Martin were enough to secure a 3-1 lead for the Grizzlies late in the game.

The sudden shift of control to Grand Oaks’ side led to the departure of DeAnda in favor of Xane Burns, but Burns’ performance needed to be matched with Willis hitting that harkened back to their second-inning sprint.

Burns and the Wildkat defense did their jobs in keeping Grand Oaks scoreless in the top of the sixth and seventh innings, but three outs and a two-run deficit nearly spelled defeat for Willis.

Hope was rekindled due to a single from Jon Martinez and a walk by Shey Holliday in back-to-back at-bats to lead off the bottom of the seventh.

Not wanting the runners to come in freely, the decision was made to pull Kinchen with no outs and the tying run standing at first base.

What should have been a routine, sacrifice bunt turned into disaster quickly after, as Braeden Sanches went to cover the bunt and throw to first, but no Grizzlies were there to secure the catch. The throw sailed into foul territory, and the Wildkats tied the game without conceding any outs in the process.

The worst nightmares of the Grand Oaks fans, coaches, and players were fully realized when a walk-off single from Zadin Cannon brought Jeffcoat, who had reached third on the error, to complete the seventh-inning comeback for the Wildkats in a 4-3 stunner of a win.

“Zadin’s been hitting well all year. He was able to find a little spot in the outfield,” explained Washburn. “We practice that a lot. We give them that situation where we’ve got to score two at the end of a game, and Zadin is one of the best at doing it in practice. It's good to see him do it in a game.”

Willis’ win allows them to maintain their half-game lead in the second-placed spot in the district standings. A sweep over the Grizzlies would be crucial in staying ahead of the Oak Ridge War Eagles in the tight 13-6A playoff race.

“It’ll be a short rest,” said Washburn. “But sometimes it’s nice to get to turn around and play when you don’t have a lot of downtime. So we’ll see.”

Game two of the home and away series will take place at Grand Oaks High School late Thursday afternoon, with the opening pitch set for 5:00 p.m.