The DeKalb County High School Tigers baseball team recorded another pair of wins early last week, then dropped their first game of the season against Station Camp at the Wilson County Invitational in Lebanon.

On Monday, March 21, the Tigers traveled to Crossville, where they took on the Cumberland County Jets. If pitching is your thing, then this was the game for you as the pitchers on both sides had strong showings.

The only runs in the game would come at the top of the fourth inning. After Isaac Knowles flew out to centerfield, and Konner Young lined out to shortstop, Avery South and Dexton Emberton would each get a walk. Next up, Patrick Cantrell tripled on a fly ball to right field, sending South and Emberton home.

Patrick Cantrell would earn the win from the mound with the lefty going seven innings, with zero runs on one hit, and striking out 14.

The following day, the Tiger were back on their home field, this time hosting the Jets. It would be a much closer game, going seven innings and being decided by a walk-off double.

Cumberland would strike first, gaining one run in the first inning, and another with a homerun in the second. The Jets would add yet another run at the top of the fifth, going up 3-0.

The Tigers finally came to life in the bottom of the fifth. Grayson Hendrix would reach on a bunt and an error by third base, then Kolter Kilgore would single on a grounder to shortstop. Isaac Knowles would single on a grounder to shortstop, but Kilgore would be caught at second.

Knowles would steal second as Konner Young came to bat, then Young would ground out to shortstop, as Hendrix crossed home plate and Knowles advanced to third. Avery South would then double on a fly to left as Knowles scored. At the end of five, the Tigers had cut the lead, 3-2.

The Jets would gain three more runs at the top of the sixth, but DeKalb would tie things up at their next turn at the plate. Patrick Cantrell would single on a ground ball to right field, then Ty Webb would go down swinging. Westin Wright would then single on a line drive to centerfield, as Cantrell took third. It looked as if DeKalb might not be able to gain any runs, as Grayson Hendrix lined out to centerfield, but then Kolter Kilgore singled on a line drive to center as Cantrell came home.

Knowles was up to bat next, and hit a triple on a line drive to center, sending Wright and Kilgore across the plate. Knowles would score on an error by centerfield. Just like that, the Tigers had tied the game 6-6.

At the top of the seventh, Knowles took over on the mound and the first batter would be out at first after a dropped third strike. The second batter would go down swinging, then Knowles would get another swinging.

As the Tigers came up to bat, Emberton would get a walk, then Cantrell would go down swinging, as Dallas Kirby, running for Emberton, would reach second on a passed ball. Ty Webb was up next, and would double on a fly ball to left field, sending Kirby home. DeKalb would get the 7-6 win.

Emberton would start the game on the mound for the Tigers, going five and two-thirds innings, allowing five runs on seven hits and striking out six. South threw one-third inning in relief. Knowles went one inning, striking out three.

On Thursday, March 24, the Tigers traveled to Lebanon where they took part in the Wilson County Invitational. There they would take on the Station Camp Bison in what would turn out as the team’s first loss of the season.

DeKalb would go three and out to start the game, then Station Camp would get on the board with one run as they came to bat.

Emberton would reach on a single to first in the second inning, then Cantrell would get a walk. Unfortunately that would be as far as they would get before having to retake the field.

The Bison would then pull away at the bottom of the second. With bases loaded, a third base runner would score on a passed ball, then after an intentional walk by pitcher South, Station Camp got a double, sending two more runners home. The Bison were up 4-0.

The action wouldn’t pick back up until the top of the fourth, when Cantrell singled on a line drive to center, then Webb hit a grounder and reached on an error by third base. Cantrell would advance to third on the error while Webb took second, then Cantrell would score. The Tigers were on the board, 6-1.

Station Camp would gain another run at the bottom of the fourth, then at the top of the fifth, DeKalb would add one more. Hendrix would start the inning with a double line drive to right, then Kilgore was caught at first after a dropped third strike. Hendrix took third. Knowles was up next and singled on a grounder to left field as Hendrix came home. It would be the last score the Tigers would see in the game.

The Bison would cap off their score at the bottom of the sixth with one more run, and would keep DeKalb off the board at the top of the seventh. They would claim the 8-2 win.

South took the loss, surrendering eight runs on six hits, striking out two.

The Tigers would fall to Wilson Central, 4-2, the following day, then again to the Donelson Christian Academy Wildcats on Saturday, 10-3. The Tigers would finish the tourney that evening with a loss to Lebanon, 11-2.