DUANE SHERRILLEditor

The Tullahoma Middle School Wildcats threw out the first pitch of the season Tuesday afternoon, dropping a twin bill to Oakland in a pair of tight battles on the diamond at Greene Field.

The Junior Varsity opened the season with an 8-4 loss to Oakland while the Varsity fell 10-4, both loses coming due one bad inning in each contest. 

Junior Varsity

Oakland – 8

Tullahoma – 4 

The Junior Varsity actually led most of the way in their tilt as they grabbed a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first after setting down the Patriots one, two, three in the top of the first. Wildcat Elijah Alexander then registered the first of his two runs on the night in the bottom half of the inning as the ‘Cats put three on the board. Alexander got on via walk and then moved to second when Garrett Reed was also given a pass. Price Harden made it three in a row as he was also walked, juicing the bases for JP Damron who took one for the team, scoring Garrett when he was hit by a pitch. The carousel continued as Trey King was walked scoring Reed. The last run of the inning for the young ‘Cats came when Price scored on a wild pitch.

The visitors were able to even things up in the top half of the second as they scored three runs to make it 3-3 going into the third.

Alexander gave his team the lead again in the bottom of the third when he scampered in following a passed ball. He reached base on an error during his at-bat and then worked his way around the diamond via wild pitches from the Oakland hurler.

The 4-3 lead would be short-lived as Oakland came to play in the top of the fourth, plating five runs as they began putting the ball in play, accounting for most of their four hits on the night. The ‘Cats were unable to mount an offense in the bottom of the fourth and the game ended due to time constraints after four.

The ‘Cats were able to plate four runs on the night despite being credited with no hits as their on-base percentage came from walks, being hit by pitches and fielding errors by the Patriots.

Alexander worked two on the hill for the JV team, walking three in 43 pitches thrown. Damron worked two innings in relief and fanned two Patriots while throwing 40 pitches. 

Varsity

Oakland – 10

Tullahoma – 4 

The nightcap was eerily similar to the JV game as the Varsity ‘Cats jumped out to a lead and ruled the roost most of the way until a fifth inning collapse allowed eight runs for the visitors.

The first was smooth for Tullahoma Middle as they retired the Patriots after one hit in the first. Nate Wilkerson got the ‘Cats off to a good start by singling to left field, the first of four Tullahoma hits on the night for the Varsity. However, Wilkerson was thrown out trying to take third after Parke Fults smashed a fly to center. Parke would later score on a Brody McShea shot to center.

Up 1-0, the young ‘Cats put their visitors down in order on the top of the second and then went to work on the home half of the inning. Zion Jeffrey and Blake Melton both plated runs during the inning, Jeffrey via a fielding error and then Melton took advantage of the same miscue to score. Oakland made three errors on the night, two of those happening on the same play that scored the pair of Tullahoma second inning runs.

Oakland was able to get on the board in the top of the third but Tullahoma answered in the home half to secure a 4-1 lead after three. Blake Melton scored the run after Oakland pitching juiced the bases via walks and then hit Jonas Roper at the plate.

Unfortunately that was it for scoring for the hosts as they held their lead into the top of the fifth where the bottom dropped out with eight Patriot runs to cement the 10-4 loss. Many of the runs were allowed due to five fielding errors by the Varsity squad, most in the fifth. The ‘Cats were outhit seven-to-six on the night. Nate Wilkerson led the ‘Cats at the plate going two-for-four with the stick. Four pitchers combined for the Varsity squad with Luke Wilson working four innings in middle relief, striking out five Patriots on the night.