Sweet Water spoils Tiger Senior Night
Demopolis (22-6) suffered its first home loss of the season Tuesday as Sweet Water (17-14) spoiled the Tigers’ Senior Night with a 9-7 win.
Demopolis stranded 13 runners in the contest including eight over the game’s final three innings in the setback.
The Tigers saw Josh Mangum lead off the home half of the seventh with a single up the middle before Brock Montgomery doubled with one out to put runners at second and third.
Mason Rogers cut the deficit to 9-7 with a RBI groundout before Wesley Anderson drew a walk to put runners on the corners with two away.
However, Sweet Water closer Brett Davis needed only one pitch to induce a popup and put the game away.
The big inning for the Bulldogs came in the fourth when they sent 12 batters to the plate and scored eight runs to take a commanding 8-4 lead.
Davis led off with a single before Tanner Luker reached on an error and Danny Nevils legged out an infield hit to load the bases.
Fabian Ledezma absorbed a breaking ball off the leg to force home Davis and pick up the RBI. Tate Gibbs picked up the RBI on a grounder that scored Luker and put Sweet Water down 4-2. An error on the play allowed Gibbs to reach and left the bases loaded with nobody out.
Trayun Jones laced a single to right field to score Nevils and cut the deficit to 4-3. Demopolis got the first out of the inning when Anderson fielded a grounder and threw home for a force play.
Tre Pritchett followed with an infield single that plated Gibbs to tie the game. Ladonta Dunson then singled to right to score Jones and give the Bulldogs a 5-4 lead.
The marathon inning continued when the Tigers induced a pop fly in foul territory and made the play for the second out before a throw to the plate skipped all the way to the DHS dugout and allowed Pritchett to score from third. Luker then capped the inning with a single that scored Dunson and Davis.
Sweet Water added a run in the sixth when Davis walked before scoring on an error. Sweet Water threatened to add another score in the frame but saw Montgomery hose a runner at the plate.
Demopolis cut into the 9-4 deficit in the sixth when Stephen Stewart ignited an eight-batter rally with a leadoff single. The big blow of the inning came off the bat of Michael Brooker as he hit an infield single with the bases loaded to plate Rogers. Montgomery also scored off a wild pitch in the inning.
Demopolis opened the scoring in the first, hanging three runs on the board before sustaining an out. Matt Eicher singled to left before Montgomery singled to center to set the table for a 2-RBI triple from Rogers. Wesley Dunn came on as a courtesy runner and scored on a wild pitch.
The Tigers added a run in the second when Mangum singled before scoring on a Montgomery double.
Demopolis used six pitchers in the contest. The loss snapped a nine-game winning streak for Demopolis.
The Tigers opened the game with senior Tyler Charleston in right field. Charleston sustained a season-ending injury in the first week of the season. He played one pitch Tuesday before exiting the game.
The Tigers picked up their 22nd win of the season Monday night with a 10-3 victory over Leroy. Montgomery got the win in that contest, striking out three over two innings of work.
Mangum, Brooker and Anderson all homered in the game. Anderson finished 2-for-3 with a double, a home run, six RBIs and two runs scored.
Brooker went 2-for-4 with a solo shot off the foul poll. Mangum went 1-for-4 with a solo homer.
Eicher went 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored. Rogers went 2-for-4 with two runs scored.
Montgomery was 2-for-5 with a double, a RBI and a run scored. Devin Stroud went 2-for-3 a double and a RBI. Tyler Oates singled in the contest.
Demopolis is scheduled to host Valley in the first round of the state playoffs Friday night while Sweet Water welcomes Mobile Christian.
