GRAY DEYOSports Writer

The Tullahoma High School baseball team lost its first game of two regular-season bouts against Lawrence County, 13-2, on Monday, March 30. They will have an opportunity to even the season series against Lawrence on Tuesday, March 31.

Coffee County

Tullahoma has been playing its best ball in the young 2026 season since March 19. They have been a shutdown defensive unit throughout their four-game win streak, allowing just four runs. They also just recently had one of their best offensive games of the season against Giles County, tying a season-high in runs in a 7-1 win. Against the Red Raiders, they looked like they were well on their way to possibly topping that number, as they scored four runs in the top of the fifth inning against them.

In the frame, the Wildcats were able to load the bases with two singles and a walk. The hits came from Addian Evans and Nate Wilkerson. The third THS player to get on board, and officially load the bases was freshman Grayson Ikhard. Soon after, the Wildcats, with two outs, were able to score in their first run of the game, coming from a three-run double from senior Phillip Lemmon.

Working a 3-1 count, Lemmon found the fastball he was looking for and sent a shot to right field. Senior Park Fulks then stepped up, attacked the second pitch he saw in his at bat, and hit a line drive single to right field to give Tullahoma a 4-1 lead.

The Wildcats, following their big fifth inning, slowed down offensively. They were held to just two hits for the remainder of the game, and the two hits for THS were the only other players that got on base for the Wildcats following the fifth. Coffee County, on the other hand, after scoring one run through six innings, got things figured out offensively in the game’s final frame.

Their first three players in the bottom of the seventh inning got on base, with the last of the three, Davis McKenzie, striking a triple that brought the scoreline to 4-3.  The Red Raiders were able to bring McKenzie across home plate before the inning was over with a ground ball RBI, making the score 4-4 and eventually forcing extras. The Red Raiders held THS scoreless in the eighth.

The Wildcats did get a runner in scoring position with two outs in the top of the eighth inning, from Blake Melton striking a double. Unfortunately, no offense came after it.

The Red Raiders opened up the bottom of the eighth and got their first batter on base for a second consecutive inning, coming via a walk. CCHS was then able to advance their runner to second from a sacrifice bunt and then bring him across home plate.  The game-winning run was produced by an RBI single from Matt Moore.

Lawrence County Game One

The Wildcats in the following game against Lawrence just could not find a way to make them uncomfortable in their at-bats. Within the 13 runs Lawrence County produced, they had a total of 12 hits. They were especially lethal at the plate at the top of their batting order, with their number one and number two batters each getting three hits in the game—sophomore Bracyn Rose and junior Jack Emerson.

Lawrence County officially broke open this game in the top of the fifth inning, where they got eight runs. In the frame, they had six hits, with two of them going for extra bases.

Tullahoma scored both of its two runs in the contest in the bottom of the fifth inning. In the frame, their first two batters clogged outs, and the Wildcats then went on to hit three straight singles, coming from Collin Hammoco, Luke Wilson, and Elijah Austell. They were able to get both Hammoco and Wilson across home plate, stemming from an error from a hard ground ball Parke Fulks put into play.

Fulks was also responsible for one of the four hits for THS against LCHS.

Despite the runs scored by the Wildcats in the fifth, their first game of two against Lawrence County in the regular season ended early due to the mercy rule.  With the loss to Lawrence County and Coffee County, Tullahoma now has a record of 6-7 on the season.