For the first time all season, the Caldwell County Tiger baseball team has dropped back-to-back games.
Marshall County avenged a loss to Caldwell earlier this season by dealing the Tigers a 3-1 setback Saturday afternoon at the VFW Ballpark in Princeton.
Caldwell also lost at home on Tuesday, falling to University Heights Academy 5-4. (A date at Madisonville-North Hopkins on Thursday was rained out.)
All of Saturday’s scoring came via the long ball.
Marshall (9-13) got on the scoreboard early when the second batter of the game, Alex Staples, homered to left field to put the visitors up 1-0.
The Marshals added two more runs in the top of the third. Staples reached on a bunt single to lead off the inning. Reese Oakley followed with a long home run to left to give the Marshals a 3-0 advantage.
Caldwell (16-6) put up its run with one out in the bottom of the third when Carter Whittington homered to left.
Luke Parker and Ari Wells then followed with back-to-back singles to put the potential tying runs on base. But a ground out and a strikeout allowed Marshall to hang on to a 3-1 lead.
The Tigers again put two on with one out in the sixth. Again, though, a strikeout and a ground out ended the inning.
Caldwell stranded eight baserunners in the contest.
Thomas Bagby (2-2) was the winning pitcher for Marshall. He went the first four innings, allowing the one run on six hits. He struck out six and walked one.
Jace Driver worked a scoreless seventh inning for his second save of the season.
Staples and Oakley each went 2-for-4 at the plate for the Marshals. Gavin Clark was also 2-for-4 while Kannon Dunn was 2-for-3.
Westin King was 2-for-3 for Caldwell.
The Tigers will go on the road on Monday to face Crittenden County.
