Wet weather and a sloppy field resulted in some changes to the DeKalb County High School Tigers’ baseball schedule last week, with two games cancelled and another game moved to a different location.

On Wednesday, April 6, the team was supposed to travel to Lebanon to take on the Commanders at Friendship Christian, but wet weather resulted in the game being called. The following day, the Tigers were supposed to host the Commanders, but ended up traveling to Lebanon to play the game. The match would not go the way the Tigers had hoped.

The Commanders would get on the board first at the bottom of the first. With one man on second, a double fly to left fielder Carson Donnell resulted in a runner coming home. Friendship Christian was up, 1-0.

DeKalb wouldn’t get on the board until the top of the third. Grayson Hendrix would single on a line drive to center, then steal second as Kolter Kilgore came to bat. Kilgore would then go down swinging, followed by Isaac Knowles. Avery South stepped up to the plate next and would double on a line drive to left field, sending Hendrix home. The Tigers had tied the game 1-1.

After the Commanders went three up, three down at the bottom of the third, DeKalb would take the lead as they came to bat again. Dexton Emberton would get a walk, then take second as Konner Young grounded out to right. Westin Wright would go down swinging, then Hendrix would reach on a grounder to shortstop and an error. Emberton took third.

Kilgore was back at the plate, and this time would single on a grounder to center field, as Emberton scored. Friendship Christian would get off the field with the Tigers with a 2-1 lead.

As the Commanders stepped up to the plate, the game would change drastically. With Emberton in as pitcher, the first batter would fly out to right fielder Hendrix, then Emberton would walk two. The next batter would strike out looking, but the next hitter would single on a line drive to left fielder Patrick Cantrell, loading the bases. The next batter, with a 2-2 count, knocked the ball over left field. Friendship had retaken the lead, 5-2.

The Tigers were down but not out, and would narrow the gap at the top of the fifth. Both Cantrell and Ty Webb would get an easy trip to first, then Emberton would double on a fly to right, sending Cantrell and Webb home. The Commanders would get off the field before any other damage was done, but DeKalb cut the lead 5-4. Unfortunately, it would be the last points DeKalb would see in the game.  

The Commanders would score another run at the bottom of the fifth, then two more at the bottom of the sixth.

The Tigers would step to the plate at the top of the seventh, but would go three up, three down, giving Friendship Christian the 8-4 win.

Emberton took the loss for the Tigers on the mound, surrendering seven runs on three hits, striking out five over three innings.

The scheduled game against Warren County last Saturday was cancelled due to weather.