'Cats Beat Gurdon; Make Regionals

RISON - Rison scored seven runs over the first two innings as the Wildcats built an early sixrun lead before cruising to a 135 win over the Gurdon Go Devils in the 8-2A conference finale last Friday at Wildcat Field.By virtue of its win, Rison finished with a 6-6 record in league play, and earned the 8-2A conference's no. 4 seed heading into this week's Class 2A South Region Tournament at Parkers Chapel.The Wildcats (8-10 overall) are scheduled to take on the Mufreesboro Rattlers (15-6 overall), the no. 1 seed from the 7-2A, at 10 a.m. Thursday, May 2, in the first round of the regional tournament. A victory Thursday will advance the 'Cats to the Class 2A State Tournament to be held next week at Palestine-Wheatley High School.Gurdon scored on a wild pitch in the top of the first for an early 1-0 lead before Rison answered with three runs in the bottom of the frame. Lawson Kidd singled to start the inning before Matthew Howard drew a walk to put two on. Brock Southerland followed with a triple into left field, scoring both runners to make it 2-1.Canon Cope's then had a ground out to add another run to make it 3-1.Rison tacked on four more runs in the second, all coming with two out.Kidd had a single sandwiched between two fly outs to start the inning before Southerland brought him in with a hit. Cope singled to drive in another run to make it 5-1. After Owen Morrison walked, Ayden Lawns dropped a double into left field, scoring two more runs to push the Wildcats' lead to 7-1.Laws' sacrifice fly in the fourth and Howard's RBI single in the fifth extended Rison's lead to 9-1.Gurdon, however, did not go away as the Devils used a double, two singles, two walks, an error and a hit batter to plate four runs in the top of the sixth to cut the lead in half.The 'Cats, however, answered all four of those runs in the bottom of the sixth.Cope singled, Owen Morrison reached on an error and Laws was hit by a pitch to load the bases with no outs. James Jacobs' fly ball allowed…