GRAY DEYOSports Writer

The Wildcats baseball team has bounced back after getting their first loss since March 10 against Central Magnet, losing 2-0. They have won two of their next three games, winning the day after against Central Magnet 15-0, then losing against Riverdale High School 9-7, and winning their latest game on April 19, 8-1.

Riverdale

The Wildcats saw a 4-1 advantage quickly fade, as the opposing Riverdale Warriors outscored Tullahoma after the second inning 8-3.

The Wildcats’ 4-1 lead through the first two innings of the game was fueled by a Parke Fulks two-run single in the first inning, along with a Baylen Tuten two-run single in the second. The Warriors quickly erased the Wildcat lead by capitalizing on an error that allowed one Warrior to slide into home, along with a two-run home run shot to center field that tied the game in the third inning from opposing first baseman Gunnar Waldrop.

Tullahoma fought back and got a two-run lead in the top of the fifth inning at 7-5, from an error, a sacrifice bunt from Andrew Zebick, and a one-run RBI single from JD Schmisseur.

Unfortunately, Riverdale was quick to answer back as Waldrop hit another shot over the fence to tie the game once again at 7-7. He finished the game with a game-high three hits as well as a game-high in RBIs with five. The Warriors then rattled home two more runs in the bottom of the fifth following Waldrop’s second homer, helping give them a win over the Wildcats.

Coffee County

The Wildcats took on Coffee County for a second time this year and eased their way to another victory. In the team’s previous matchup on April 4, Tullahoma took home a 14-0 shutout win. They were not able to hold the opposing Red Raiders to another 0 this time around but were still able to grab another convincing win over their rivals.

The Wildcats essentially sealed the fate of this game in the first two innings with a 7-0 outburst. Tullahoma scored two runs in the first inning on two RBI groundouts from Mason Bratcher and Tuten. In the second inning where they scored five runs, they hit five singles–Zebick, Schmisseur, Hunter Hogan, Tuten, and Andrew Fulmer. This flurry of hits combined with a couple of errors from the Red Raiders in the inning allowed Tullahoma runners to constantly be in scoring position, equating to the big inning for the Wildcats.

The Wildcats offense was supported by some great defense from three Tullahoma pitchers–Lukas Taylor, Xander Pogue, and Fulmer–that combined for twelve strikeouts and one allowed just one hit in the contest.

The win over Coffee County gave the Wildcats their 20^th win of the season, as they improve to a record of 20-8.