HUNTER COOKSTON
Writer
Last Friday, the Whitwell Tigers opened the Region Tournament against CSLA—a team they had already defeated earlier in the season. Whitwell made quick work of CSLA again, winning 10-0 via the mercy rule. That victory earned them a spot in their second consecutive Region Championship game, where the Tigers emerged as champions with a dominant 6-0 shutout win.
Whitwell handed the ball to senior ace Jacob McCurry, which came as no surprise. The senior delivered a stellar performance, striking out 15 batters, allowing just one hit over 6 ⅔ innings, and issuing only one walk. The moment wasn’t too big for him. Although Whitwell’s offense took some time to get going, they broke through in the fourth inning with a Brody Harvey single.
The Tigers put the game out of reach in the fifth. Michael Kilgore beat out an infield single, allowing McCurry to score all the way from second. Freshman Colin Beason followed with a single of his own, knocking in another run. An error added two more runs for Whitwell, and a walk by Brayden Riley brought the score to 6-0.
That was all Whitwell needed, as the Panthers couldn’t respond. After a season of heartbreak a year ago—falling just one win short of a Region Championship and two wins away from the Spring Fling—the Tigers now find themselves two wins away from accomplishing something no other baseball team has done in Whitwell history.
McCurry and Kilgore led the team with two hits each, while Kilgore, Harvey, and Beason each drove in a run. The Tigers racked up seven stolen bases, including two from freshman Gabe Ross.
Now, Whitwell is one step closer to its ultimate goal. Only one team stands in the way: Gordonsville—the same squad that knocked them out in Sub-State just a season ago.
The Tigers return to action at home on Wednesday, May 14, for a doubleheader starting at 5:00 p.m. in a best-of-three series. If the series is tied after Game 2, then a decisive Game 3 will take place on Thursday, May 15.
