TOURNEY-TESTED TIGERS POUNCE ON INDIANS 12-2

After competing against some high-caliber teams this past week during a national tournament in Millington (Tenn.), the Cape Central Tiger baseball team returned home Tuesday for a contest against local rival Jackson.

The Indians proved to be a little less competitive than the teams Central faced in Tennessee, falling 12-2 in only six innings. The win was Central's third in a row, improving its record to 4-2. Jackson slipped to 2-2.

Central pitcher Craig Ringwald (1-1) went the distance on the mound, striking out eight while allowing only four hits and no walks. Both of the runs scored against Ringwald were unearned. Central coach Steve Williams was most impressed with Ringwald's control.

"That's the way Craig has to pitch," said Williams. "He has to throw strikes and he has to make hitters swing the bat. For the most part, that's what he did and as long as he does that he's going to keep our team in the game."

The Tigers used a five-run sixth inning to end the game via the 10-run rule. Central first baseman Jeff Beasley scored Adam Bertrand from third with a ground ball to first base that ended the game.

Earlier in the inning, Bertrand lined a bases-loaded double over the center fielder's head to score three runs and put the Tigers up 11-2. Bertrand, the Tigers' second baseman, went 2-for-4 as the ninth batter in the order with three runs scored and the three RBI.

Tiger shortstop Shane Gibson was also zoned-in at the plate with three hits and two RBI. As a team, Central pounded out 12 hits.

"They put the bat on the ball when they had to and they hit some good shots," said Jackson coach Sam Sides. "They kind of sandwiched in a couple good hits around our errors and that's how they got the big innings on us."

Both teams recorded four errors each.

Besides the five-run sixth inning, Central scored two in the first, three in the fourth and two in the fifth. Jackson pitcher Josh Adams (0-2) pitched the first four innings before being relieved in the fifth after allowing the first three Tiger batters to reach.

With the bases loaded and the Tigers ahead 5-0, Christopher Leimer moved from first base to the mound for Jackson. Leimer got Chris Pobst to ground into a forceout for the first out of the inning. But Beasley followed with a two-run double to left that broke the game open.

Jackson scored its only two runs following a two-out throwing error to close the score to 7-2 entering the sixth.