ROYSE CITY, Texas-Whitehouse grabbed the early momentum, and by the time Texas High wrestled it back, it was too late.
The Wildcats built a 2-0 lead in the first and led 5-0 through 3 1/2 innings, going on to claim a 7-3 win over the Tigers on Thursday in the Class 5A bi-district baseball series opener at Royse City High School.
The series moves to Whitehouse for Game 2 today, and a third game, if THS (17-12) can tie the series. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. today.
"We got their pitcher late, but I don't feel like we ever were in the game, mentally," Tigers Coach John McClure said. "Their pitcher did a good job of taking us out, offensively, and they scored two runs on a couple of walks and groundball hits.
"That set the tone of the game. We've got to be mentally stronger than that."
Logan Whitfield finished one out from a complete game on the mound for the Wildcats (21-9-1). Whitfield allowed for hits, three earned runs and struck out eight while walking four in 6 2-3 innings.
Michael SIkorski absorbed the loss, lasting four innings before giving way to Cameron Radney.
SIkorski allowed six hits and five runs-three earned-with three strikeouts and six free passes. Radney fanned three and walked two, allowing three hits and two runs-one earned.
Whitford went through the Tiger lineup once before allowing a two-out hits to Chris Lyles in the third inning. In the fourth, SIkorski doubled home the first Texas High run.
The Tigers went down in order in the fifth and sixth innings, but Texas High came up with four hits in the seventh and had the potential tying run at the plate when the game ended.
Jack Clark's RBI single in the first gave the Wildcats the first-inning lead, and he scored on Wyatt Wood's two-out double to left.
Whitehouse stranded the bases loaded in the second and two more in the third, but hits by Whitfield and Clark were followed by errors.
Clark finished 3 for 4 with a double and three RBI for the Wildcats. He followed Skyler Trevino's leadoff triple to the corner in right with his double down the right field line.
In the seventh, Jakob Hearne legged out an infield hit with one away, and Luke Smith worked a two-out walk. Lyles, who was 2 for 4, grounded and RBI single to right, and Rian Cellers lined a run-scoring single to right.
Chris Sutton followed with a single, but reliever Matt Bundy got a groundout to leave the bases full of Tigers.
"In a series, you want to win Game 2 because we feel like you've got the momentum heading into the final game," McClure said. "We need to bring the momentum back to us.
"We didn't play well defensively, SIkorski had his highest pitch count (98) through four innings, and those are uncharacteristic for us."
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Logan Whitfield, Matt Bundy (7) and Ashton Rogers. Michael Sikorski, Cameron Radney (5) and Jackson Halter. WP-Whitfield. LP-Sikorski.