Ethel was up, down, and ultimately up in a baseball game with Neshoba Central.
With three runs in the second, one in the fourth and three in the fifth, the Tigers built up a 7-3 lead, only to see it slip away and more when Neshoba Central went ahead 8-7, parlaying three hits, a walk, a hit batter and an error into five runs in the sixth.
The Tigers tied it in the bottom of the sixth on a two-out homer by Cyrus Rone. “Cyrus is a senior who came through for us,” said coach Chris Schuster.
After Colin White retired Neshoba one-two-three in the top of the seventh, Ethel produced a walk off victory in the bottom of the inning. With one out, Gabe Cain and Tyler Weaver singled. After both advanced a base on a wild pitch, Wes Bishop was issued an intentional walk. Hayden Langford followed with the game winning hit.
“We need to learn how to finish those games. We were up 7-3 with just six outs to go,” Schuster said. “At the same time, it showed that we are able to fight back and find a way to get the victory. It's kind of a double-edged sward. You don't want them to come back. But once they did, we were able to fight back.”
Ethel took a 3-1 lead on a three-run homer by Langford in the second, the first of his career. “I have a senior who has never hit a home run in his life, and he hits it over the left field fence with two outs,” Schuster said.
Back-to-back doubles by Kameron McCuller and Cain highlighted the Tigers' three-run fifth. The rally was aided by two Neshoba errors.
Kameron McCuller comes off the field after scoring on a passed ball.
Kevin Brunt / The Star-Herald
White allowed two hits and one run in 1.2 innings to pick up the win. “He's a little left-handed pitcher who has done really well for us this year,” Schuster said. “He didn't strike out anybody. He's not going to overpower anybody.”
The Tigers had 11 hits, including two each by Rone, Cain, Weaver, Bishop, and Langford.
Ethel began Region 5-1A play with a 17-0 victory over McAdams in a game that was stopped after two and a half innings. The Tigers had only five hits, but benefited from seven walks, seven hit batters and five McAdams errors.
Bishop, Kaden Adams, and Cain each pitched an inning, and each struck out the side while allowing one hit by eighth grader Gavin Brown.
Kaden Adams gets the start for Ethel on the mound.
Kevin Brunt / The Star-Herald
The wins improved the record to 7-2. “We're a couple of good plays from being 9-0,” Schuster said.
“Our seniors have really come through for us. Our seniors got some key hits for us when we needed them.”
