DEMOPOLIS &8212; It may have taken longer than they would have liked, but somewhere along the way the Demopolis Tigers started playing their brand of baseball, winning three of their last four games going into last week&8217;s Spring Break.

The Tigers plodded through the early portion of their schedule, which included two games against Class 2A&8217;s No. 2 team, Leroy and 5A&8217;s No. 1 squad, Bibb County, as well as tough 6A teams like Wetumpka and Paul Bryant.

The Tigers seemed to turn a corner during a March 15 round robin with Andalusia and Thomasville. After falling behind Andalusia 12-1, DHS rallied to scored 11 runs over the final two innings, falling just short in the 13-12 loss. The following contest saw the Tigers mount a similar comeback against Thomasville, this time prevailing 18-17. The 30-run outburst and never-say-die approach seemed to trigger something for the team as it took second place during a two-day tournament at Wetumpka the following week.

Ramer hopes that approach remains constant as his team enters the final 11 games of its schedule, beginning with tonight&8217;s contest against area opponent Dallas County.

That emphasis paired with the work ethic the team has displayed may be enough to help it overcome the early season woes it is trying to forget.

However, as impressed as he is with his team&8217;s work ethic and newly adopted approach, Ramer credits something more intangible for the apparent turnaround.

Demopolis is hopeful whatever seeds were planted during those meetings continue to bear fruit as it looks toward the playoffs. The Tigers, 2-0 in area play, will look to take a decided advantage over Dallas County tonight when it plays a double-header before going on the road to face area foes Wilcox and Greenville next week.

His perspective seems to resonate throughout the clubhouse with each coach and player appearing nearly oblivious to the dubious overall record.

If Ramer is correct, the Tigers will likely need to be at their best tonight when they tangle with Dallas County at Bloch Park. He expects the struggling Hornets squad to try to make the most of its desperate situation.