Scott City baseball team succumbs to visiting Sikeston

Sikeston rode a complete game from starting pitcher Trey Tigart and survived a late rally to defeat host Scott City 7-4 in baseball action Tuesday.

"We had them down early and let them back in it a little bit," Sikeston coach Alan Scheeter said. "Credit to them, they hit the ball up and down the lineup. I would like to see us finish a game off a little stronger than what we did instead of letting a team back in it."

The Bulldogs got an RBI single from Drew Harper in the top of the first, and they added three more runs in the second inning.

"We had a good day swinging the bats [Monday] and it looks like it carried over to today," Scheeter said.

Sikeston went ahead 5-0 on a Trent McMillan home run in the third.

The Rams went to work in the bottom of the third. Austin Atchley and Zach Carlyle led off with back-to-back hits before Heath Pobst brought the pair in with a base-clearing line drive to right field.

But Scott City entered the seventh down by five runs after Sikeston tacked on a run in the fourth and fifth innings.

The Rams made one last stand thanks in part to a pair of fielding errors by the second baseman that left the bases loaded with no outs.

Scott City sacrificed an out for a run in its next to at-bats to close its deficit to 7-4.

Brett Dirnberger plated the first run on a grounder to shortstop. A potential single to right field by Heath Pobst brought in the Rams' final run. Pobst's hit dropped in front of the right fielder, but with the runner at first forced to tag up when it looked like the right fielder might swoop in for the catch, Sikeston was able to throw to second base for a force out.

Ryan Fortner then lined a single to left-center field that looked to extend the rally. With the lead runner closing in on third and threatening to head home, Fortner broke for second as he anticipated a throw to the plate.

But left fielder Patrick Smith fired to second instead to gun down Fortner for the final out.

"They executed a nice play," Scott City coach Lance Amick said. "But the in-between ball in right field where it leaves the runner in no man's land is a tough break.

"It seems like those breaks we didn't catch all day, which is baseball. And you tip your hat to Sikeston. They made the plays, but I'm proud of the way our team battled all day long."

Sikeston 131 110 0 -- 7 10 4

Scott City 002 000 2 -- 4 11 3

WP -- Trey Tigart. LP -- Hunter Cox. HR -- Trent McMillan (S). 2B -- Tyler Anderson (S), Cord Sheehy (S). Multiple hits -- Sikeston: Anderson 2-3, Patrick Smith 2-4, Drew Harper 2-3; Scott City: Zach Carlyle 3-4, Heath Pobst 2-4, Logan Henson 2-3.