WP Double-header Saturday Ends In Split

PRESCOTT - The Waitsburg Prescott Tigers and Columbia-Burbank Coyotes exchanged scores of 6-3 to split last Saturday's nonleague double-header.

Zach Bartlow took the mound for the opener, striking out three batters in the first inning but not before the Coyotes put two runs on the board.

The Tigers answered with a single from Dalton Estes that advanced TJ Hofer to scoring position, where Tre Brannock's RBI sent Hofer home to put the Tigers down by one.

The Coyotes scored another run in the top of the second unanswered by the Tigers until they unleashed the bats in the bottom of the fourth.

With one runner on, Joe Purdin connected for a double and Matt Hamilton followed with a single, bringing in two Tigers to even things up 3-3.

Justin Zuger's single RBI gave the Tigers the lead 4-3. With one out, Hofer smacked a single to load the bases, and the Coyotes called to the bull pen to try and break the Tigers offensive momentum.

Estes stepped up to the plate and kept the streak going with a fly ball to right, bringing in another Tiger and keeping the bases loaded. A Coyote error allowed one more run, but a grounder to the mound by Brannock was turned for a double play and the inning ended with the Tigers up 6-3.

The Tiger defense held strong for the remainder of the game. They turned two double plays of their own, keeping the Coyotes scoreless in the last three innings and winning the opener 6-3.

"Bartlow pitched really well for us in the first game," said Tiger head coach Dustin Snedigar. Bartlow completed all seven innings with six strike outs for the day.

Joe Purdin pitched the first five innings of the second game for the Tigers, where he struck out three batters and picked off two Coyote base runners, before Dalton Estes relieved him beginning at the top of the sixth.

The Coyotes came out stronger on the mound in the second game, leaving the Tigers struggling at the plate and caught with their bats on their shoulders as the fast balls kept coming. Combined with the Tigers' juggling acts performed by the defense that racked up eight fielding errors, the WP men just couldn't find their rhythm and pull things together, losing the night cap 6-3.

"There was definitely a lack of fire," said Snedigar. "Things got really ugly. We had a lot of errors. We're going to change up some stances and take a better approach. We've got to get things cleaned up before next weekend."

The Tigers were slow getting things going offensively, remaining scoreless until the bottom of the sixth when Purdin sent a fast ball deep to center field for a triple that drove in two runners. Hamilton added one more to the board with his third RBI of the day to end the sixth inning down by two, at 3-5.

The Coyotes scored one more time and struck out two Tiger batters in the bottom of the seventh to win the game 6-3 .

"We had good defensive plays in the first game," Snedigar said. "But we just weren't swinging the bat enough in the second."

The WP Tigers are 5-3 overall and look to improve their 0-2 league record Saturday in Prescott when they take on TOR in a doubleheader at 11 a.m.