Tigers Split Doubleheader Against Patriots

RICHLAND- The WP Tigers split a double-header with the Liberty-Christian Patriots Saturday in Richland.

Tiger Zach Bartlow took the mound in game one throwing two of his five strike outs of the day in the first inning.

The Tigers' offense backed it up with three runs and took a 3-0 lead to start the third inning.

A single from Bartlow and Dalton Estes loaded the bases and a double from Matt Hamilton scored two.

The Patriots were held scoreless in the bottom of the third with three up, three down but got the bats going and cut the Tiger lead to 5-4 by the top of the fifth.

Estes started off the inning with a double and crossed the plate from Joe Purdin's line drive to center.

Purdin advanced to third on a steal and took the opportunity to score on a Patriots overthrow to widen the margin 7-4.

Bartlow threw two more strike outs in the bottom of the fifth and Estes' arm beat the base runner to first runner to hold off the Patriots. TJ Hofer ripped a line drive to center field in the bottom of the sixth and Bartlow answered with a grounder up the middle. Estes followed with a double RBI line drive to center and the Patriots called to the bull pen to try and break the Tigers' hitting streak.

Tre Brannock answered that call from the box with a line drive to left that brought in one more run and the Tigers lead to 10-4.

Three hits from the Patriots and a Tigers error would score three and narrow the gap 10-7. Justin Zuger's third baseline grounder in the top of the seventh, combined with his stealthy base stealing would take him around the diamond to score the Tigers' final run of the game.

The Patriots slugged out three hits in the bottom of the seventh and scored two runs to put the game within reach. The Tigers picked off a base, caught a fly ball at third and freshman Kyle Dozier knocked down a line drive at second base to throw out the runner at firstand secure a 11-9 victory.

The Patriots tallied up 11 hits in four innings against the Tigers in game two and won the nightcap 10-0

"We could carry over the momentum from the first game," said Tiger Head Coach Dustin Snedigar. "We just couldn't get the bats going."

Brannock, Purdin, and Tucker Alleman each had one hit in game two.

The Tigers face the Dayton Bulldogs in a league double-header in Dayton on Saturday April 30th at 10am.