Post Photo by Dennis Holley Between the two games against Central Magnet, Marshall County took time to honor legends of Marshall County baseball. Pictured are (from left) Head Coach Ryan Henry, Mr. Rick Kennedy, Mr. Mike Mills, Mrs. Connie Mills, Coach Steve Reese, Coach Joe George, Coach Mike ‘Monk’ Reese, Asst. Coach Gerard Randolph and Asst. Coach Hunter Haurez.
By DENNIS HOLLEY
Sports Writer
LEWISBURG — “It’s a great day for a baseball game, let’s play two!” is a quote from former Chicago Cub’s great Ernie Banks, so the MCHS Tigers (1-5, 0-1) followed his advice and on a beautiful early spring afternoon at Joe George Field, the Tigers opened their 8-3A District schedule against the Central Magnet Tigers (5-1, 1-0).
After dropping the first game by a score of 3-1, the hometown Tigers hoped to bounce back in the second game but a four-run outburst by Central Magnet in the bottom of the fourth inning propelled the Murfreesboro team to a 9-4 victory and a sweep of the doubleheader.
In the second game of this double bill the home team became the visitor and Marshall County’s Rob Hawkins led off for the Tigers and worked a walk from Central’s starting pitcher Collin Wind.
After a one out fly ball, Hawkins was erased on a fielder’s choice by Lucas Hery, Reid Mitchell then followed with a solid single, but Wind escaped a two-on-two out jam with a strike out.
Central’s Mitchell Coons led off the bottom of the first inning with a single, advanced to third on two passed balls and then came home to score the game’s first run as John Cook beat out a throw to first base and the Central Tigers grabbed an early 1-0 lead.
The Tigers from Lewisburg fought back in the top of the second inning as Eli Cross led off with a single then raced all the way to third base as a comedy of errors by the Central defense unfolded.
Cross then scored on a passed ball to knot the score at 1-1.
After Ayden Cook and Hawkins coaxed walks to put two on base, Cahlin Henry stroked a base hit to score Cook and put the Lewisburg Tigers in the lead 2-1 in the top of the second innings.
The Tigers of Central Magnet pushed back in the bottom of the second inning scoring two runs to surge ahead 3-2.
In the top of the third Marshal County could not take advantage of Reid Mitchell’s booming double and the score remained 3-2.
Central tallied another run in the bottom of the third to up the lead to 4-2 as Wind for Central on the mound kept the Lewisburg Tigers in check.
The bottom of the fourth was where the wheels fell off for the Lewisburg Tigers as Central sent eight men to the plate with four of them scorings and when the third out was recorded the Marshall County squad trailed 8-2.
The Central nine added another run in the bottom of the fifth to make the score 9-2 but the Lewisburg Tigers didn’t go quietly in the top of the seventh , after base hits by Lucas Hery and Mitchell, Cross drove home Hery with a base hit, then after a passed ball advanced the runners Mitchell scored on a balk by the Central pitcher for the final run for Marshall County.
Central’s Wind recovered by getting strike outs of the next two batters and Central grabbed a doubleheader sweep with a 9-4 victory.
Marshall County 020 000 2 —4 6 2
Central Magnet 121 410 x — 9 11 3
MCHS: Eli Cross 2-for-3, Reid Mitchell 2-for-3, Cahlin Henry 1-for-4, Lucas Hery 1-for-4.
WP: Wind
LP: Cross
