Pair of one-run losses puts Woodland out of playoff hunt

Needing a pair of wins to break a six-year playoff drought the Woodland Bobcats came oh-so-close against Fayetteville last week. But in the end the Bobcats were unable to break through, and they shouldered a pair of one-run losses that eliminated them from playoff contention.

In the first game last Tuesday, an 8-7 Fayetteville victory in Woodland, the Bobcats were behind 5-2 in the fifth when they staged a four-run rally to take a 6-5 lead. Woodland scored all of its runs in the inning with two outs, with the big hit coming off the bat of Benji Whitmore. Whitmore’s bases-loaded double plated three runs and put Woodland ahead for the first time in the game.

The lead would not last, however, as Fayetteville answered with two runs in the next half inning to reclaim the lead at 7-6. Woodland got one run in the bottom of the sixth to tie the game, but the Bobcats missed a chance to take the lead when they could not score again with one out and the bases loaded.

Fayetteville scored the game-winning run on a wild pitch in the top of the seventh and Woodland was unable to muster one more rally in the bottom of the inning.

In game two Friday at Fayetteville Woodland held leads of 2-0 and 3-2, but Fayetteville scored the final two runs of the game in the fifth inning to come away with the 4-3 decision.

Trey McFarland had an RBI single in the first inning, and Dale Robertson scored after a leadoff double in the second as Woodland jumped out to a 2-0 advantage.

Fayetteville tied the game with two runs in the third inning, but Woodland responded in the fifth when Dalton Bolan scored on another RBI hit off the bat of McFarland to give the Bobcats a 3-2 edge.

A ground-rule, two-run double in the bottom of the fifth off the bat of Fayetteville’s JD Pate was the difference, however, and Woodland was left with another one-run loss.

The losses leave Woodland with a record of 3-13. They will close out their season against Wadley on April 17.