Late Run Explosion Lifts Bears Past Wildcats, 11-1

RISON - Austin Howard's performance on the mound overcame five Woodlawn errors Tuesday afternoon as the Bears knocked off the cross-county rival Rison Wildcats, 11-1, in a six-inning game at Woodlawn. Howard did not allow a hit and gave up just one walk after pitching all six innings for the Bears. He had five strikeouts. Woodlawn broke the game open late, scoring nine of its 11 runs over the final two innings, including four in the bottom of the sixth that invoked the 10-run rule. While Rison struggled to get much going at the plate, errors by the Bears opened the door to an early scoring opportunity and allowed the Wildcats to score their lone run in the top of the sixth. Brock Southerland reached on an error to start the game in the top of the fourth, and Howard then hit the next batter, Jud Terry, to give the 'Cats two aboard with no outs. But a line drive for an out followed by a double play ended the threat. Brayden Jones gave Woodlawn a 1-0 lead in the bottom fo the first when he was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and then moved to third on two ground-outs, allowing him to score on a passed ball. The Bears added another run in the second when Howard led off with a single and his courtesy runner, Mason Edmonds, stole second and then moved to third on Jase Bishop's ground out. Tate Hall's ground out to short scored Edmonds to make it 2-0. Terry, Rison's starting pitcher, managed to hold the Bears at bay over the next two innings before they exploded for five runs in the fifth. A walk, an error and a hit batter loaded the bases for Woodlawn with one out when Garrett Weatherford singled to right to drive in two runs. The Bears score two more runs on an error before Weatherford scores on a passed ball. Owen Stover the scores on a ground out by Dylan Butler to make it 7-0 before the frame comes to a close. Back-to-back errors by Woodlawn with one out set up Southerla...