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The Tullahoma Men’s Baseball League 2024 season concluded when the Piñatas beat the Stache 2-1 in a pitchers’ duel to claim the title.

Reed Emerson started for the Piñatas and pitched the complete game. He struck out five, walked one, allowed three hits and one unearned run. Darrin Cole was on the mound for the Stache, he also went seven full innings. Cole struck out nine, walked two, gave up two hits and two earned runs.

The two teams played twice in the regular season, splitting the games. The Stache won the matchup in the first game 2-1, while the Piñatas won later in the season 9-1.

The first baserunner in the championship game was Kevin Moritz in the bottom of the second. He reached via hit by pitch. After that it wasn’t until the bottom of the fourth inning when another batter reached base. This time it was Chayse Frye with a double. The runner was again left on. The Piñatas got their first baserunner in the fifth when Parker Gunn drew a leadoff walk, but they recorded three straight outs leaving the game scoreless. Colby Presley was hit by a pitch in the sixth for the only other baserunner prior to the last inning for the Piñatas. Bryce Allemore walked with two outs in the sixth for the Stache. The seventh inning started with neither team truly having scoring chances.

Brady Nugent led the seventh inning off with a four pitch walk. JD Parker bunted for a single after that. Then with two on and no outs, Gunn bunted and beat out the throw to load the bases with zero outs. Three pitches later, the ball got away and Nugent scored. Cole struck out the batter and then hit Ryan Edwards in the next at-bat to reload the bases. AJ Parker hit a fly ball to center field for a sacrifice fly to make it 2-0. In a 2-1 count, Gunn was picked off at second to end the top of the seventh.  Emerson induced a ground ball in the first two at-bats of the bottom half. The first recorded an out, while the second resulted in an error. Logan Underhill reached because of the mistake. Lee Carden singled into left field to put runners on the corners with one out in the next pitch. Moritz was swinging first pitch and he hit a worm burner through the infield to make it 2-1 with one out. Since the ball went to left field, Carden had to stay at second. Dylan Ward hit a fly ball to center, but the runners had to stay where they were. Had Carden been at third, there could have been a play at the plate. Emerson locked it down in the next at-bat, striking out the last batter of the 2024 season.