Tigers Score 14 2-Out Runs in Tournament Opener

When these two teams met earlier in the season, it was all Tigers, as they swept Freed-Hardeman in the three game series. In the opening round of the Mid-South Conference Baseball Tournament, we had a rematch of game one of the regular season series.

The Tigers' offense came out swinging early in the game, as they barreled two balls, but for two loud outs. With two outs, Joshua Duarte would get the Tigers first hit of the game with a single, then steal his 35 bag of the year. With his single in the first, Duarte is now holds the school record for most hits in a single season! With Duarte on second, Payton Rios would reach on an infield single, and plate home Duarte after an FHU error. 

On the mound for the Tigers would be ace Trevor Baker, who was just named first team all-conference, for his efforts on the mound this season. Things would not start out great for Baker, as a double, and obstruction call, and a walk gave FHU runners on the corners and no out. Baker would get a weak line out and strikeout, to get it to two out. Baker looked like he was going to get out of it with a weak grounder, but FHU would score on Baker's error to tie up the game. Leading off the 2nd, Jose Cazorla would start it with a loud bang by crushing a hanging slider to left center to reclaim the lead. After the offense just gave Baker the lead, FHU would get two singles and a bunt to give them runners in scoring position. FHU would then cash in and reclaim the lead at 3-2. 

In the 3rd, the offense would stay hot. Jacob Dezarn would lead off the inning with a perfect bunt, and then go to second via a sac-bunt from Austin Vincent. Duarte would then double to right center, and plate home Dezarn. Again with two out, Hank Schineller would come through, and single home Duarte to reclaim the lead, 4-3. Baker would then come back out and look like his usual self, and fire off four consecutive zeros. 

The offense would come back to life in the 6th, when Jacob VonThaden singled and Julian Huerta walked. Again with two outs, Dezarn would piece a ball through the six hole to plate courtesy runner Bryan Sanders. Vincent would then beat out an infield single to plate home two runs, after both advanced via a wild pitch. Through 6, the Tigers would be up 7-3. 

FHU would finally knock Baker out in the 7th, after they had two consecutive singles. Beau Becker would then enter, and after an error, the bases would be juiced. FHU would then unload the bases, and tie the game back up. 

With things tied, we had a brand new ballgame. In the 8th, both teams would not score, and send us to the 9th. After a walk to Rios, Hank Schineller would crush a ball that would break the tie and reclaim the lead at 9-7. Then with two outs, the Tigers would get rolling again. A single from VonThaden and single from Joey Lapolla would extend the lead to 3. Two walks would then load the bases, and a single from Vincent would make it 12-7. Then a single from Duarte plated home another run, and walks to Rios and Schineller added a run and kept the bases loaded. Then the rain hits, at 9:50 we go into a rain delay, that lasts for 32 minutes. Following the rain delay, Jose Cazorla would hit his second homer of the day, and all but put the nail in the coffin for FHU. After Bryson Huwars' efforts kept the Tigers in the game, Nikayha Castro would come in for the final three outs. He would go 1-2-3, and progress the Tigers forward. 

The Tigers advance to face Bethel at 6 pm in the nightcap. Earlier in the season, Bethel took 2 out of 3 from the Tigers.