By By BRUCE HIXON – Sports Editor
Baxley Raines only gave up one hit, but that one hit was Park Parker's game-winning RBI single in the bottom of the seventh inning that lifted the UMS-Wright Bulldogs to a 5-4 victory over the visiting T.R. Miller Tigers Saturday.
It was T.R. Miller's third loss in four games after it started the season 5-0.
The Tigers (6-3) only had four hits and only one of them factored into the scoring.
T.R. Miller manufactured a pair of runs in the top of the first inning without the aid of a hit. Tanner Shehan walked, moved up a base when Jordan Cauley was hit by a pitch and scored on a pair of passed balls. The passed balls got Cauley over to third base and he scored on Becker Denton's RBI groundout to make it 2-0.
UMS-Wright tied the game in the bottom half of the third when Brock Reaves walked and Bobby Jones reached on catcher's interference to set up a sacrifice fly by Parker and an RBI groundout by Walker Plash.
The Tigers regained their original two-run advantage in the top of the fourth inning. Justin Marshall was hit by a pitch and moved into scoring position when Allen Williams grounded out. Marshall scored and put T.R. Miller back in front when Hayes Peace reached on an error. Shehan then touched UMS-Wright pitcher Chris Carpenter for an RBI double to make it 4-2.
An infield error opened the door for the Bulldogs to tie the game in the bottom of the fifth inning. A walk, a hit batter, a stolen base and RBI groundouts by Dayne Cuttrell and J.J. Gotheb followed to knot the score at 4-4.
It was also an infield error that allowed Jones to reach to start the bottom of the seventh inning. The error not only allowed Jones to reach, but it sent him down to second base and in scoring position. Things became even more precarious when a passed ball sent Jones to third base with nobody out.
That forced the Tigers to bring their infield in and Parker ruined the no-hit bid by Raines, who walked six and struck out seven, but more importantly T.R. Miller's bid for victory.
Carpenter and the UMS-Wright relief corps limited the Tigers to only four hits with seen strikeouts. Raines had two of those hit, while Shehan and Williams each had one.
The Tigers, who hosted Escambia County Tuesday, travel to Flomaton Thursday and return to Class 3A Area 1 action Friday when they entertain W.S. Neal.
At UMS-Wright
T.R. Miller 200 200 0 – 4 4 3
UMS-Wright 002 020 1 – 5 1 3