The DeKalb County Tigers baseball team ended its regular season games with a hard-fought, emotional, and controversial game against the Watertown Purple Tigers last week.  The team would also prove resilient after winning their first game in the district tournament in Murfreesboro.  Tournament play would see the Tigers without their head coach after he was suspended for TSSAA rules violations. 
The game with Watertown saw pitching woes from DeKalb in the early innings and ended with one run scored in the bottom of the seventh inning.  But it is what happened before the game that would land Coach Scott Odom in trouble. 
DeKalb hosted the Purple Tigers last Tuesday, April 30, after the regularly scheduled game time on Monday had been cancelled due to a wet field.  A problem had arisen in the scheduling for the make-up game as TSSAA umpires were not available on Tuesday, a game that had also been designated as Senior Night where graduating seniors on the team were honored and recognized.  Watertown could not play on Wednesday and district tournament play was also set to start on Thursday.  In order to play the game Coach Odom reportedly scheduled little league umpires to officiate, a TSSAA rules violation.  Odom was later suspended for the rest of the season by DCHS Principal Patrick Cripps. 
When the game got underway the Tigers got off to a rocky start.  The Purple Tigers found themselves up early in the game, scoring four runs in the top of the first inning after pitcher John Roller walked several batters and hit two.
The Tigers wasted no time bouncing back, however, scoring three runs at their first time up to bat in what would turn out to be a controversial play.  Emotions were running high as Roller hit a base hit that, through dropped and overthrown balls, turned into a three-run triple.  As the third runner, Cody Puckett, came in to score, a scuffle erupted at home plate after Puckett was pushed and called a name by the Purple Tigers catcher.  The push was then reciprocated. 
Confusion overtook the officials during the play when the DeKalb bench cleared to celebrate at home plate for the three-run score.  With the altercation, and fearing an escalation, officials quickly forced everyone back to their dugout. 
The incident would prove controversial after some rumors claim that the alleged bench clearing was the real reason Coach Odom was suspended. Odom has refused to comment on his suspension, and Principal Cripps would not comment in person at the tournament game on Friday and has not returned several calls made by the Smithville Review before and since.   
With the game still underway, DeKalb took the lead in the bottom of the second inning, scoring three more runs, but Watertown would keep things close, scoring another run in the fifth.  DeKalb answered the Purple Tigers’ score as they came up to bat that same inning, but saw their lead fall in the sixth as Watertown scored two more runs to tie things up.  DeKalb was able to seal the victory however, scoring one run in the bottom of the seventh inning with a final score of 8-7.
The Tigers used a total of four pitchers during the game including Roller who pitched one and a third innings, giving up four runs on one hit, striking out one and walking four. Chase Hoke pitched one and two-thirds innings, giving up two hits, striking out four and walking two. Stephen Howell pitched two and a-third innings, giving up three runs on three hits, striking out four and walking four. Devin Summers ended the game, going one and two-thirds innings, giving up two hits and striking out two.
Evan Curtis, Steven Page, and Aaron Patterson each recorded two hits in the game, while Stephen Howell, Hunter Graham, Cody Puckett, and John Roller each had a one.
On Friday the Tigers defeated Livingston Academy in tournament play during a game that saw 30-40 mile per hour wind gusts.  With ominous clouds and rain sprinkles threatening the game, DeKalb took their first victory of the District 8AA Baseball Tournament at the SportsCom in Murfreesboro.
Puckett pitched all seven innings for the Tigers, giving up five runs on seven hits, and striking out 15 with three walks.
DeKalb would score three runs in the first inning, one run in the third, and finished with five runs in the sixth. Livingston Academy scored one run in the second inning, one in the third, one in the fifth, and two runs in the seventh inning, with a final score of 9-5. 
Stephen Howell, Cody Puckett, Devin Summers, John Roller and Aaron Patterson each had a single in the game, while Evan Curtis took two singles, Seth Stanley recorded a double, and Hunter Graham had two doubles. 
DeKalb will play Upperman in their next tournament game.