Tigers Run-Rule Mustangs, 13-3
By Will Johnson
Messenger Reporter
SLOCUM – The Latexo Tigers were on the road Friday night as they traveled to Slocum for a District 21-2A tilt with the Mustangs. Both teams were coming off losses and looked to get back on the winning side of things.
The Tigers got off the bus focused on business and scored in every inning – with the exception of the third – as they run-ruled the Mustangs by a final score of 13-3.
The game got of to a fast start as Latexo scored without ever having hit the ball. Eli Filer was hit by a pitch from Lex Rich to lead off the contest. He then stole second and third and when a passed ball allowed Logan Ray to reach first safely, Filer scampered home to make the score 1-0.
Rich recovered from the rocky start to strike out the next three batters he faced to end the Tigers hopes for a big first inning.
Sam Jones was on the mound for Latexo and he worked an easy bottom half of the first. He got Luke Gibson to ground out, forced Rich to fly out to center and caught Lincoln Smith looking a called third strike to move the game into the second.
Latexo extended their lead in the second thanks to some timely play with two outs. Kade Hauck led off the second with a ground out, but Tyler Lumbreraz followed with a walk. A passed ball moved Lumbreraz to second but it seemed like that might be as far as he got when Sebastian Maza struck out.
Josh Yorgenson kept the inning alive with a five-pitch walk, pushing Lumbreraz to second. Filer was at it again as he laid down a well-executed bunt to advance the runners and beat the throw to first to load the bases.
Ray was up next and slapped a double into left, plating Lumbreraz and Jorgenson to make the score 3-0. On the double form Ray, Filer motored into third. He didn’t stay there long as he scored on a double steal. Jones was unable to help his own cause as he grounded out to end the Latexo scoring in the second.
Jones was back on the mound for the Tigers and picked up two quick outs on a liner to first from Jacob Nugent and a K of Jacob Easley. Julian Young followed in the order and picked up the Mustangs’ first hit of the game with a base knock into left. First base was as far as Young would get, however, as Zack Coble grounded into a fielder’s choice to end the second inning.
After a quiet third inning, the Tigers were back on the scoreboard in the fourth. After a quick first out, Yorgenson reached safely on a bunt down the third base line. A double from Filer moved Yorgenson to third and a passed ball brought him home while moving Filer to third.
Ray was up next in the lineup and drew a walk. A botched pick-off attempt gave Filer the chance to scoot across the plate and sent Ray all the way to third base. On the same play, a second error allowed Ray to cross the dish to make the score 7-0.
After Rich managed to work his way out of the inning, the Mustangs finally found their offense. Rich singled up the middle and following a pop-up from Smith, he took second when Jacob Nugent drew a walk.
A passed ball moved Rich to third and when another Jones pitch got away from the catcher, Rich crossed the plate with Slocum’s first run of the game.
Nugent moved to second on the play and came home to score on Julian Young’s single to center. That was all the Mustangs could muster as Jones slammed the door on Slocum’s scoring threat.
That was as close as the Mustangs would get as the Tigers scored four in the fifth and two in the sixth to pick up the 13-3 District 21-2A win.
Rich took the loss in six innings of work. He gave up 13 runs on nine hits He also struck out 11 and walked nine.
Jones picked up the win as he went the distance for Latexo. He gave up three runs on three hits, struck out six and walked one.
At the plate, the Tigers were lad by Eli Filer who went 4-4, with three RBI and four runs scored. Logan Ray was 2-3 with three RBI and one walk.
For Slocum, Julian Young was 2-3 with one RBI.
Will Johnson may be contacted via e-mail at [email protected].
