C'Ville Tigers improve to 5-2 v. Senath-Hornersville Lions

SENATH, Mo. - Two talented teams, the Caruthersville Tigers (4-2) and the Senath-Hornersville Lions (3-1) faced off here Friday afternoon.

Caruthersville starter Chase Laden struggled with his control in the first two innings, walking four batters and hitting one.

Even with facing 12 batters in that span, he would have come out unscored upon had one of those four walks not come to Kamron Isbell with the bases loaded. Chase was able to induce back to back pop-ups to Bryce Glisson and Ryan Guest to strand the bases loaded.

The starter, Guest for the Tigers, faced the minimum in the first and only four batters in the second due to an outstanding 5-4-3 double play off the bat of Amador Luna followed by a single by Jesus Mendoza with a strikeout of Vicente Garza.

Senath-Hornersville took its only lead of the game in the bottom of the third when Alexis Andrade led off the inning with a walk. Christian Small attempted a sacrifice bunt that resulted in an overthrow by the third baseman for the Tigers and the Lions had first and third with no outs.

On a ground ball to third, Andrade tried to score on the play but was cut down at home 6-2 for the first out of the inning.

A bunt base-hit by the leadoff batter Adyn Goff resulted in the Lions first run. and Goff stole second and scored all the way from there on a sacrifice fly to center field by Noah Rhodes.

Ryan.Guest(2) starting pitcher for the Tigers warming up.Photo by Tim Caldwell

The Lions' lead was short lived when Jared Hudgens for the Tigers led off the fourth inning with its fourth walk of the game and with one out a perfectly executed bunt was laid down by the leadoff hitter Isbell moving Hudgens into scoring position. Glisson followed with a solid single to center to tie the game at two.

Both teams went scoreless in the fifth but the wheels fell off for the Lions in the sixth.

Hudgens, the eighth place hitter in the lineup, knocked a grounder to short that skipped past the first baseman allowing Hudgens to reach second.

Tristen Hill attempted a bunt that was fielded by the pitcher and Senath had Hudgens caught in a rundown between second and third.

On a bang-bang play at third, Hudgens was called safe, and that quickly had the Tigers at first and third with no outs.

After a strikeout by Isbell, Glisson hit a sacrifice deep to center scoring Hudgens and Hill for the third and fourth runs of the game for the Tigers.

They were far from done.

Guest singled to center and stole second and third, a hit by Wiiliam Middleton and Dandridge McGraw, Kenyon Bogan hit by a pitch for the second time, a hit by Boone and runs five and six had come home to roost.

Chayse Laden (5) starting pitcher for the Lions warming up. Photo by Tim Caldwell

With the bases loaded the inning finally ended after 10 men had gone to the plate with a force out 5-4 by Hudgens. Caruthersville had a lead that they never relinquished 6-2.

Chayse Laden was hit by a pitch to lead off the sixth inning, but was forced at second on a grounder by Luna. Mendoza doubled him home for the Lions third run and a single by Garza drove in run number four.

But a pop-up to first baseman Luna by Andrade ended the threat and that was the final scoring for the Lions.

Kamron Isbell(13) lays off of a high one from Chayse Laden.Photo by Tim Caldwell

Guest went seven innings for the Tigers, giving up four runs, only two earned, on just six hits with one walk and six strike-outs.

Garza took the loss going four innings, allowing four runs, all earned on nine hits with four strikeouts.

The Tigers improve to 5-2 on the season with their next game at home against Perryville at 3:30 p.m. on April 1.

The Lions fall to 3-2 and hope to get back on the winning ways on the road at Greenville at 4 p.m. March 25th.