The Tigers exploded for ten runs in the top of the seventh inning to break open a close game and claim a 17-4 Dixie Boys Baseball victory over the Gators Wednesday at County Park.
Ethan Johnson led off the game with a single for the Tigers. Teammate Drew Sholar reached on a passed third strike, and a throwing error on the play allowed Johnson and Sholar to circle the bases for a 2-0 lead.
Cameron Flowers pounded a double to left-centerfield in the Tiger second, and Tyler Hill drove him in with a single for a 3-0 lead.
The Gators tallied a run in the home second. Jay McGill walked and raced home when Xavier McKoy hammered a triple to rightfield.
The Tigers added a run in the third as Zach Meares belted a single to rightfield, and Gabe Barber walloped a triple that drove in Meares and padded the lead to 4-1.
Hill singled in the Tiger fourth, and Johnson slammed a double to drive him in and push the lead to 5-1.
Jake Evans reached base on a throwing error in the Gator fourth, and Brady Hollingsworth ripped a single. Cody Butler drilled a double to left that scored Evans, and Zach Butler drove home Cody Butler with a single that trimmed the margin to 5-3.
Johnson ripped a single and Meares walked to start the Tiger sixth inning. Barber drilled a 2-run single that plated Johnson and Meares and upped the count to 7-3.
Jayson Baxter singled and Wes Landreth walked to begin the big seventh inning rally for the Tigers. Johnson crushed a 2-run triple, and Sholar, Meares, and Barber walked. Jared Piland rapped a 2-run single.
Grayson Clark delivered a run-scoring single, and Baxter walked. Flowers knocked in 2 runs with a single and later scored the final Tiger run.
Jacob Priest walked, stole second base and later scored on a wild pitch in the Gator seventh.
Johnson batted 4-5 with a triple, a double, 2 runs batted in and 3 runs scored to lead the Tiger pitchers. Flowers finished 3-5 at the plate with a double, 2 rbi’s and 2 runs scored. Hill was 2-3 with an rbi and a run scored.
Barber batted 2-4 with a triple, 3 rbi’s and a run scored. Piland finished 2-5 with a triple, 2 rbi’s and a run scored. Meares, Clark and Baxter added one hit each. Meares scored 3 runs. Sholar and Baxter scored 2 runs each. Landreth and Clark scored one run each, and Clark had an rbi.
McKoy blasted the rbi triple to lead the Gator hitters. Cody Butler slugged an rbi double and scored a run. Hollingsworth and Zach Butler added one hit each. Zach Butler had an rbi, and Evans, Priest and McGill scored a run each.