Straughn baseball coach Mike Buckelew said Florala High School issued his team a “wake-up call” six games ago.

 

 

 

Since taking their first loss of the year, the 8-1-1 Tigers (4-1 in the area) have used their arms, gloves, legs and bats to beat their opponents into submission.

 

 

 

Over that five-game span Straughn racked up 75 stolen bases, 59 hits and 85 runs.

 

 

 

In the field, they have committed more than one error in just one of those games, while on the mound, their pitchers have surrendered just 18 runs.

 

 

 

“We are getting it from our offense, fielding and pitching right now,” Buckelew said.

 

 

 

The Tigers’ most recent victim was Samson, who they downed 13-5 at home on Tuesday.

 

 

 

Rusty Grimes pitched four innings to earn the win, as his battery mate Chris Thomasson and right fielder Dustin Butler led the offensive attack.

 

 

 

Thomasson, the senior cleanup hitter, went 3-for-3, with a home run, four RBIs and three runs scored.

 

 

 

Butler made the most of his two at bats, driving in four runs on two hits with two runs scored.

 

 

 

Last Friday, Straughn’s freshman and sophomores got their day in the sun as the Tigers beat New Brockton 27-7.

 

 

 

Buckelew played just one junior and senior during the game, in which Michael McVay and Terry Barnes shared the pitching duties, with McVay taking the win.

 

 

 

Butler, the only senior to play, went 3-for-4, with a home run and four RBIs.

 

 

 

Barnes helped his own cause with a home run, as shortstop Scott Rogers went 2-for-3, second baseman Shawn Canant went 3-for-4 with four RBIs, right fielder Scott Hicks went 2-for-4 with three RBIs and third baseman Josh Hatfield pitched in with three RBIs.

 

 

 

Florala may have provided the wake-up call that sparked the Tigers to their five-game tear, but it is not likely Straughn will show much gratitude when the squads meet at Straughn at 3:30 p.m. this Friday.

 

 

 

Buckelew said his team did not hit the ball well during the 4-3 loss to Florala, and may have underestimated their opponent.

 

 

 

“We though we were going to just show up and win,” he said.

 

 

 

The team has since adopted a different attitude, he said.

 

“We think we’re ready. Naturally, we think we’re the better team, but you to prove it on the field,” he said.