YSE File Photo
Trigg County scored twice in the final frame to force extra innings Tuesday, but Andrew Orr’s sacrifice fly in the top of the eighth, and clutch relief appearance by Carson Garner, ultimately led to Murray High’s 6-5 win in a dramatic baseball matchup in Cadiz.
The Wildcats, who were finishing a three-game homestand and seeking their third straight victory overall, trailed 5-3 after six innings and were down to their final out when a fly ball from Tyler Ahart was misplayed by the Tigers, leading to a two-out, two-error that abruptly squared the game at 5-all in the bottom of the seventh.
Resiliently, however, Murray answered right back in extras. Following Carson Tucker’s lead-off walk in the eighth, the sophomore answered to second base on Abram McNutt’s single and to third on a passed ball, then scored the game-winning run on Orr’s fly ball to center field.
In the bottom half of the inning, Tigers reliever Garner struck out the first two batters he faced before getting pinch-hitter Hunter Reynolds to ground out to end the contest. It’s the third win in the last four games for Murray.
After the teams traded runs in the first inning, and MHS took a 3-1 advantage in the top of the fourth, the ‘Cats battled back and tied the game on a two-run home run by Stephen Audas. It was the second bomb of the season for Audas, giving him a team-best nine RBIs in 2022.
Murray countered quickly in the fifth, reclaiming a 5-3 lead following Cody Garner’s RBI single and Kobe Watson’s sac fly in consecutive plate appearances. Trigg County starting pitcher Aaron Despain, who struck out six walked four, and allowed two earned runs in 5 2/3 innings, eventually got out of further trouble by inducing a ground out to second.
Isaac Peca, who finished the game 3-for-3 with a run, RBI, and a walk, tried to start another rally in the bottom of the fifth with a one-out single to center. Trigg then put two runners on when Jay Humphries was hit by a pitch on the next offering, but Ahart grounded into a fielder’s choice to keep the Wildcats down 5-3.
Dallas Ahart (0-2) gave up just one hit, one walk, and one run in an inning of relief but was the tough-luck loser on the mound. Audas and Matthew Leeper each finished 2-for-4 at the plate for TCHS. The Tigers out-hit Trigg 11-8, including 10 singles, and got hits from eight different players.
The Wildcats (3-7) return to the diamond March 31 at Todd County Central, which starts a string of three games in three days for Trigg County.
