The Red Level Tigers kept their playoff hopes alive after splitting with the McKenzie Tigers in Red Level. After losing the first game of the series, Red Level fought back in the second game to force a deciding game three.

 

MCKENZIE 15, 

RED LEVEL 10

In the opening game of the series, Red Level battle back to force extra innings but a big eighth inning gave McKenzie a 15-10 victory.

McKenzie got things started off in the first inning by drawing a pair of walk, followed by a single that put the visiting Tigers up 1-0.

After getting a fly ball for the first out, McKenzie picked up a second run on a fielder’s choice.

Dylan Jordan then struck out the next batter to end the top half of the first inning.

The first two batters in the bottom of the first were retired for Red Level, but Jeffery Perdue reach first after getting hit by a pitch to put Red Level in business.

A walk to Dalton Ainsworth moved Perdue up to second with two outs. Perdue then stole third before coming around to score on an error.

Jordan walked the first batter of the top of the second inning, but then catcher Colten Dorman picked the runner off first for the first out of the inning.

Jordan then picked up a pair of strikeouts to end the inning.

Chance Russell led off the bottom of the second inning by drawing a walk and then later stole second.

After Jordan drew a walk, Dorman ripped a single into right that scored Russell and Jordan to give Red Level a 3-2 lead.

Jordan picked up two strikeouts to start the top of the third inning and then got the third out on fly ball to Perdue in center.

The McKenzie pitcher sat down Red Level in order in the bottom of the third inning.

Jordan picked up right where he left off and struck out the side in the top of the fourth inning to keep Red Level out front 3-2.

McKenzie tied the game up and then took the lead on two steals of home in the top of the fifth inning. A Red Level error then led to two more McKenzie runs scoring to give the visiting Tigers a 6-3 lead.

Red Level battled back and tied the contest up in the bottom of the fifth.

Hunter Carpenter and Javarius Grooms reached off errors with two outs. Carpenter came around to score on the error off the bat of Grooms.

Jordan singled to move Grooms to third and Dorman followed with a single to score Grooms.

Three hits for McKenzie to start the top of the sixth inning led to three runs and a 9-6 lead.

In the bottom of the seventh, Grooms and Jordan walked to start the inning and then Perdue picked up a single with one out to make the score 9-7.

An error off the bat of Ainsworth, allowed Dorman to score and Red Level cut McKenzie’s lead down to 9-8.

Dameyune Scott then singled home Perdue to tie the game at 9-9.

However, McKenzie answered with six runs in the top of the eighth inning to push them to a 15-10 win.

Dorman led the way for the Tigers at the plate going 2-for-5 with four RBI and one run scored.

 

RED LEVEL 13, 

MCKENZIE 9

Needing a win to keep their playoff hopes alive, the Red Level Tigers used a seventh inning rally to knock off McKenzie 13-9.

Carpenter was hit by a pitch to start the contest and moved around to third on single from Dorman.

Perdue then sent a fly ball to right that the outfield misplayed, allowing Carpenter to score for a 1-0 Red Level lead.

Ainsworth followed with a line-drive single to right that scored Dorman and Perdue.

Scott followed with a single but was unable to come around to score. Red Level held a 3-0 lead heading into the bottom of the first inning.

A pair of errors got Red Level off to rough start in the field in the bottom of the first, but Carpenter picked up pair of strikeouts and limited McKenzie to just one run in the opening frame.

Carpenter picked up two more strikeouts in the bottom of the third, but an error and three hits allowed McKenzie to take a 4-3 lead.

Jachen Hartz reached off a one-out error to get Red Level started in the top of the fourth inning, and then moved around to third on single from Carpenter.

Jordan followed with a fly ball single to left that scored Hartz and Carpenter to put Red Level back on top.

McKenzie answered right back with a few hits of its own and took advantage of a few Red Level errors to take a 7-5 lead heading into the fifth inning.

Red Level pounced right back, taking advantage of McKenzie errors and timely hits to take an 8-7 lead.

McKenzie tied the game back up in the bottom of the fifth with a run-scoring single.

In the top of the seventh, Red Level’s bats heated up as the Tigers added five runs to put them on top 13-8.

Dorman, Perdue, Answorth and Cale Mancill each drove in runs for Red Level in the final inning.

Ainsworth led the way at the plate for Red Level going 2-for-5 with three RBI and one run scored.

Jordan and Perdue each drove in two runs in the victory for Red Level.