MOBILE – The Demopolis Tigers varsity baseball team participated in the ‘Mobile Classic’ this past weekend and emerged with a 2-2 record through four games.

In game one, the Tigers beat Murphy 11-1 in five innings as Tyler Moody (1-0) picked up the win for DHS.

Moody pitched five innings, giving up three hits and striking out eight batters.

“We came out early and Tyler took control on the mound,” head coach James Moody said.

“We hit the ball early in the game and got out and got some runs.

We played fair defense.

We did turn three double-plays in that game and really did what we needed to do to win and get the game over in five innings.”

Offensively, G. W. Washington led the Tigers in game one, going 2-for-4 with three RBIs and a homerun.

Chad Schroeder, Bart Pettus, Seth Bassinger, Clarke Kerby, Devin Goodwin, and Colby Roberts each contributed with a hit in game one of the weekend series.

In game two, DHS dropped a 7-2 decision as Goodwin (0-2) picked up the loss for the Tigers.

In the second game, the Tigers managed only two hits and struck out 12 times.

“In the second game, we faced as good a pitcher as we will see all year,” coach Moody said.

“He’s a left-hander throwing 87-89, curveball, changeup.

And he really just overmatched us.

But with it all said and done, we committed five errors in the ball game.

Going into the top of the seventh, we were down 3-2.

And we commit two errors and give up a three-run homerun and that’s how they scored four in the seventh.

As poorly as we played, we had a chance in the seventh, but Devin was in a situation where he’s trying to make perfect pitches because he’s got runners all over the place because we can’t catch a ball.

And you can’t expect guys to pitch like that.”

In the third game of the weekend series, played on Saturday afternoon, the Tigers faced Mary Montgomery and lost 6-4.

Roberts (1-1) picked up the loss for DHS.

Leading the way offensively in game three was Goodwin and Moody, who both went 2-for-4 in the game.

William Meador, Roberts, Kerby, Washington, and Schroeder each chipped in with a hit.

“The Mary Montgomery game was a close ball game – a 2-2 game in about the fourth,” coach Moody said.

“We gave up back-to-back 0-2 hits to score four runs and that was the difference in the ball game.

We were down and battled back to make it 6-4, but we just didn’t play as well as we could have.

Offensively, we had eight hits in the ball game.

We had chances, but we’re just in a situation right now where every time we make a mistake, it’s costing us big time.”

In the fourth and final game of the ‘Mobile Classic,’ DHS picked up a 10-2 win in a rematch against Murphy.

Washington (1-0) picked up the win for the Tigers in his first start under coach Moody.

Offensively, Schroeder led the Tigers in game four, going 3-for-4 with two RBIs.

Bassinger, Hunter Hawley, and Meador each contributed in the Murphy game, with each of them going 2-for-4.

Meador also added a solo homerun and Moody chipped in with a two-run homerun.

“In game four, we played Murphy again.

G.W. started and did a good job,” coach Moody said.

“He needed to get some work in, and this was the first game he’s ever pitched for me, and he went into the fifth and only gave up two hits.

So he gave us what we needed.

William Meador came in and threw the last two to three innings, and he recorded a save with that.

Offensively, we scored seven runs in the second.

So that put some distance there and made them try to play catch-up the whole time.

In the seven-run inning, we had the two-run homer from Tyler and the solo homerun from William, which were big hits that inning.”

Although the Tigers escaped from Mobile with a 2-2 record in the weekend series, coach Moody believes the team still needs improvement.

“Even in the fourth game, we committed four errors,” coach Moody said.

“And as long as we continue to do that, we’re not going to win because of the people we’re playing.

I feel confident that that will take care of itself and we’ll work out of that.

But it’s frustrating to me because these kids know how to do what we’re trying to do.

And it’s not like it’s a bunch of new kids that I’m having to teach them what to do and expect them to make mistakes.

These kids shouldn’t be doing that.

But they’re getting a reality check – we’re getting a gut check.

And maybe, when you look at it, we’re lucky to get out of there 2-2.”

However, if the Tigers had played errorless baseball, things could have been different.

And coach Moody knows his team could have easily gone 4-0 this past weekend.

“If we played well, we win four ball games,” coach Moody said.

“But we’re not playing well, and that’s my fault.

But that’s part of the reason we’re doing what we’re doing, playing the people we’re playing – we saw some good arms this weekend and we saw some left-handed arms this weekend, which is always good.

In Devin’s game, if he pitches like that every time he goes out, he’s going to win.

He competed and gave us a chance.”

DHS had nine errors in the weekend series, giving them an average of over two errors per game.

“They have just been lackadaisical,” coach Moody said.

“They know how to do it, now it’s just a matter of making that happen.”

The DHS varsity baseball team is now 4-4 overall and they face Choctaw County on Friday in the team’s first area game of the season.

“We’re shooting ourselves in the foot,” coach Moody said.

“We want to win every game we play, and at any given time we’re going to give up runs and have to answer.

But we’re not playing as well as we can.

If we don’t play well, anybody can beat us.

We’re swinging the bats well enough to win, but the routine plays are hurting us.

It’s mental toughness that we’re lacking – and repetition.

The more we play, the better we get.”

According to coach Moody, last year seemed like a “dream year” because everything went so smoothly.

But this season, routine errors and injuries have plagued the Tigers.

“It’s just one of those years right now and we’re just going to have to weather the storm,” coach Moody said.

Starting Friday night on the road, the DHS varsity baseball will get a chance to prove they can win ball games without giving up routine errors.

Until then, coach Moody and his group of assistant coaches will be working daily to get the Tigers mentally prepared for their upcoming area game against Choctaw County.

Photo cutline: (1) Tyler Moody went five strong innings in the Tigers first game of the ‘Mobile Classic,’ picking up an 11-1 win.

(2) Head coach James Moody talks with JV head coach Freddy Lawrence during the Tigers weekend series at Mary Montgomery High School.