By Shannon Fagan, WEIS Sports Director
GAYLESVILLE – One thing the Cedar Bluff baseball team has been struggling with this season is jumping out to an early lead and extending it.
The Tigers did just that on Tuesday at area rival Gaylesville, and they needed just about every run they scored.
Cedar Bluff struck for three runs in the top of the first inning, added a run in the second, two more in the fifth and another in the sixth, then held off a late Trojan surge to take a 7-4 victory.
“Early in the year against Appalachian we did that (scored early) and we couldn’t add on. We let them jump back in and it got us,” Cedar Bluff coach Jim Nelson said. “They did a really good job today of buying in and trying to add one here and there.
“I challenged them to focus at the plate and have a good approach. Bucky (Leek), Hagen (Stallings) and Bryson (Teague) came out and kind of set the tone early. Kaden Pack, Isaac Bishop and Alex Baty all came out and kept it going. Hagen Stallings, Jacob Chambers and Eli McFry all got after it too.”
Baty picked up the win on the mound for the Tigers (6-12, 1-2). He tossed six innings of four-hit ball with five walks and five strikeouts.
“Alex did a good job filling it up,” Nelson said. “They put balls in play and it kept our defense on its toes, but our defense responded and made some plays. Alex laid the foundation for the defense behind him to play well.”
“Hat’s off to Baty. He did what he had to do and held us down,” Gaylesville coach Kolby Brannon said. “If we could’ve gotten him out of the game an inning or two earlier we might could’ve won it. He did what he had to do for six innings. We didn’t do our job.”
The Tigers scored their first run on a bloop double by Bishop to bring home Hunter Stallings, who walked with one out.
Baty followed by sending a shot to left that was misplayed, allowing two more runs to score and give the Tigers a 3-0 advantage.
Cedar Bluff added another run in the second to go up 4-0 on a RBI-single to center by Hunter Stallings.
Gaylesville (11-7, 1-3) got on the board in the bottom of the third after Baty loaded the bases. He walked JJ Yarbrough with one out to bring home Karrson Ray, who led off the inning with an infield single.
The Tigers extended their lead to 6-1 with a pair of runs in the fifth, one of which came on an error. The other was delivered on a single to left by Chambers. Teague tallied another Tiger run in the sixth on a RBI-single to left.
“For whatever reason, we came out and played the name across the chest instead of the team that’s across from us,” Brannon said. “We realized halfway through the game maybe we’re not playing the team of old, but then it’s too late. You’re down 7-1 before you realize it.”
As Brannon said, the Trojans made a game of it in the seventh by batting around. Reliever Logan Hampton walked Kyler Bradley and Yarbrough with no outs to bring Braden Sharp to the plate. Sharp smacked a single to right to score a run. Collin Hendon was then hit by a pitch to load the bases.
Nelson called on Pack to put out the fire, but before he did, Gaylesville struck for a run on an infield single to Tanner Eads and another on a bloop infield single by Ray with two outs.
Pack retired Kuper Bradley on a pop out to center field for the final.
“Any time in baseball you get a chance to add, you’ve got to add. If you don’t, it’ll come back and bite you,” Nelson said. “They did a great job adding one here, two there, one here, and then holding them.”
Bishop and Hunter Stallings both had a pair of hits and a walk apiece to lead Cedar Bluff. Both of Bishop’s hits were doubles. McFry also doubled for the Tigers. Teague and Chambers also collected a hit apiece and drove in a run.
Mitchell and Ray had a pair of hits apiece to lead the Trojans at the plate. Kyler Bradley, Sharp and Eads each added a hit. Kyler Bradley also walked twice and Yarbrough walked three times.
Yarbrough suffered the loss after working just two innings. He gave up an earned run on two hits with two walks and two strikeouts before being relieved by Allmond.
The two teams finish their series on Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. at Cedar Bluff.
“For both us and Gaylesville, it’s pretty much win or go home from here out,” Nelson said. “Now you’ve just got to win and control what you can control. We’ve got to focus on ourselves and take care of business and let everything else fall into place.”
