BRANTLEY — Straughn got off to a good start Friday night in Brantley’s double elimination tournament with wins over the host Bulldogs and Ariton at BHS’ Wendell Mitchell Field.

The Tigers (8-5) got off to a slow start in the first game, but erupted with nine runs in the second inning and seven runs in the fifth to beat BHS 20-7.

SHS defeated the Purple Cats 8-2 in the second game behind strong pitching from Tigers’ ace Chase Short.

With these wins, Straughn advances in the tournament winners bracket. The Tigers will play at 1:30 p.m. today in the semifinals. The championship game is slated for 7:30 p.m.

 

Straughn 8, Ariton 2

Short had 15 strikeouts and allowed two runs on four hits while walking one in a complete game for the win.

“He threw well,” SHS coach John Fussell said.

The most batters Short faced in an inning was five each in the first and sixth innings.

Straughn tied the game at 1-all in the bottom of the second on an infield single from Daryl George that scored Taylor Messick, who reached on a single.

SHS added five runs in the third inning on three hits and two errors.

Short scored on an error; Lane Sirmon scored on a single from Tucker Lawless; Rollin Kinsaul came in on a single from Messick; and Messick scored on a two-out two-run home run from Brennan Head.

After the third inning, Straughn led 6-1.

The Purple Cats scored one run in the top of the fourth just like they did in the top of the first inning — on an RBI single.

Heath Hughes hit in Luke Peters in the fourth, and Peters hit in Josh Bell in the first to make up Ariton’s only runs.

Short’s command on the mound was clear during the second and third innings.

The Straughn senior retired the side in both innings, only facing six batters.

The Tigers tacked on two runs in the bottom of the sixth on an error and an RBI single from Keith Edgar.

Johnny Owens, Messick and Head went 2-for-3 each to lead SHS.

Ariton’s Bell, Peters, Hughes and Seth Senn had one hit each.

 

Straughn 20, Brantley 7

Straughn’s nine-run second inning came on four hits and two errors.

Brantley starting pitcher William Parrish allowed eight runs — five earned — and five walks on a three-hitter.

Messick singled courtesy runner Beau Spivey home to start the scoring spread in the inning.

Lawless scored on a single from George; Head scored on an error; George scored on a passed ball; Edgar scored on an error; Short scored on a walk to Kinsaul; Lawless scored Owens on a hit by pitch; and Cody Crowell and Spivey came in on a hit by pitch and walk, respectively to end the inning.

The Tigers scored two runs each in the third and fourth inning before the fifth’s seven-run melee. Sirmon hit a two-run double to lead the Tigers in the fourth.

Gunner Wise, who came in to pitch hit in the fifth, knocked a two-run single to score Short and Owens to give SHS a good start in the inning.

Lawless, Head, Messick, George and Sirmon also scored in the fifth, and the Tigers allowed one run in the bottom half of the inning to force the mercy rule.

Kinsaul earned the win in two innings as he allowed six runs and struck out three.

On the two games being so different, Fussell said the players have the responsibility to be able to fix the problems.

“They’ve got to make routine plays,” he said. “You’ve got to throw strikes. But, they’re getting better.”

George went 2-for-4 to lead the Tigers.

Brantley jumped out to a 4-0 lead after the first inning, and the Bulldogs added two runs in the second and one run in the fifth.