Rally Tigers! DHS downs Opp in bottom of 7th

Published 12:00 am Monday, May 2, 2005

DEMOPOLIS – You couldn’t write a better script to the conclusion of a high school baseball playoff game.

Down by three, 5-2, and down to their final out, the Demopolis Tigers rallied for four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to defeat the Opp Bobcats, 6-5.

G.W. Washington got things started for DHS in the bottom of the seventh inning, nailing a base-hit single to leftfield before successfully stealing second base.

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After two quick outs by Devin Goodwin and Bart Pettus, the Tigers were down to their final out of the game.

But for DHS, that final out meant rally time.

Seth Basinger stepped to the plate and smoked a two-run homerun over the deep leftfield wall to pull Demopolis within one run.

Clarke Kerby and William Meador followed with base-hit singles before Hunter Hawley was walked on a 3-2 count to load the bases for Darrell Kent.

And then, it was for Kent closure.

Kent drilled a two-out two RBI single up the middle to plate the winning runs for DHS as the Tiger faithful jumped to their feet as Demopolis rallied to take game one from Opp, 6-5.

“We were very fortunate,” DHS head coach James Moody said.

“We didn’t exactly pitch real well and didn’t give ourselves much of a chance off the mound.

We finished with five or six walks and we did it with two outs – and once again, that’s being there.

But you can’t write that script.

We just have to turn around and take that momentum now and just refocus on what we are trying to do.”

Although Tyler Moody started the game, Washington picked up the win for the Tigers, coming into relieve Moody in the sixth inning.

Washington pitched the final two innings, giving up two runs on two hits with one strikeout.

Moody went the first five innings, giving up three runs on six hits with five strikeouts.

In the top of the fourth inning, Moody struck out the side.

Demopolis plated the first run in the game, this coming in the bottom of the first inning on an RBI double by Goodwin that plated Washington.

Opp scored their first run of the game in the top of the third to tie the game at 1-1.

However, the Tigers regained the lead in the fourth inning on an RBI single by Meador that plated Kerby.

But in the top of the fifth inning, Opp rallied – and it was controversy for the Tigers.

After an RBI single by Opp’s Rhett Barnes to deadlock the game at 2-2, Moody was called for a balk with the bases loaded to bring home the go-ahead run for the Bobcats.

Coach Moody went to argue the call, especially considering the umpires had failed to call it on the previous three balks by Opp starting pitcher Ryan Cooke.

But DHS wasn’t about to let the umpires control their fate.

After pulling Moody and opting for Washington, the Bobcats scored two more runs to take a commanding 5-2 lead heading into the bottom of the final frame.

And Demopolis was going to make sure the seventh was their final frame, plating four runs with two outs to rally for the one-run victory.

With the win, DHS took game one from Opp for a 1-0 lead in round two of the postseason.

Game two was late last night and both game two and three (if necessary) will be covered in next week’s edition of The Times.