DHS v. Dallas for home berth
Published 12:00 am Tuesday, April 17, 2007
DEMOPOLIS &8212; Despite a streaky season the Demopolis Tigers are heading into the playoffs with a chance to host their first game at home.
Though the team, which is 14-12 on the season, lost three games last week, a win over Dallas County today would give the team the home berth against Gulf Shores, while a loss would send the team on a three-hour road trip for its first game of the playoffs against Spanish Fort. Of course, the Demopolis Tigers are facing the team that has given Coach James Moody his only no-hitter game of his 14-year career at the school when the two met at Dallas County last Tuesday.
Moody said the two teams&8217; first match up, which ended in a 4-2 loss for his team, was an uphill battle for his group, who he said didn&8217;t seem as prepared to play as Dallas&8217; group. Though the team had no hits in the game, they still managed to hold Dallas County to a 2-2 tie until the bottom of the sixth inning when the team scored its other two runs.
The team went into a downward spiral after the game, giving up its next two later in the week, 7-2 and 10-4. Moody said the team struggled defensively after the Dallas game where it produced no errors, and he said offensive production could be an issue at times for the team.
Moody said he would coach today&8217;s game like he would normally coach a playoff game, due to the importance of home field advantage in the playoff. He said he wants to do whatever it takes to put his players in a situation to walk away from the game in a position to do well in the playoffs. He said in the two teams&8217; first match up the Tigers had a chance to walk away with the home field advantage but couldn&8217;t capitalize, something he doesn&8217;t want to happen again.