Claude Tournament - Part 1

Coach Green couldn't find another tournament to get into this year so he decided to host one. The Claude Mustangs took on the Bushland JV Falcons for their first game yesterday at noon. Things just did not go well for the Mustangs in the first inning. Brady Baggett started on the mound with Manny Monteiro behind the plate. After two errors to allow the first two batters to reach, Baggett couldn't get comfortable on the mound. Four runs had scored before the Mustangs recorded their first out which came from a Tyler Peden to Austin Miller put out. After three more runs scored A. Miller got the second out on a grounder. Two more runs scored before Baggett fought back and struck out the batter to retire the side. After a quick out by the Falcons, Peden reached the bases on an error that allowed him to be safe at third. Baggett then stepped to the plate and hit a double to left to score Peden. A. Miller then hit a sacrifice fly to center to score Baggett. A strikeout ended the inning, leaving the Mustangs trailing 2-9. The Mustangs continued to struggle defensively in the second. An error and two hit by pitches allowed the bases to load. Baggett was the replaced on the mound by Brady Miller. Miller started off strong getting the first out with a strikeout. However, things went south a bit with two walks and a hit by pitch to put more runs on the board for Bushland. Another error by the Mustang defense allowed more runs to score before B. Miller came back with a strikeout for out two. Out number three came on the next batter with a fly out catch by Jeffrey Tyree. After a fly out for the first out, Brandon Nichols hit a single past the third baseman to try and get something going. Two more strikeouts halted any sort of rally, putting the Mustangs down 2-14 after two. The Mustangs gathered themselves in the third. B. Miller struck out the first two batters quickly. An error allowed the next batter to reach, before a hard rip went back towards B. Miller who caught the ball and threw to A. Miller to retire the side. Once again the Falcons retired the first batter of the inning. Peden came to the plate and ripped a single to left to get things rolling. Baggett followed suit before A. Miller crushed a ball to center for a triple scoring Peden and Baggett. The next two batters went down though, on a foul tip that was caught and a strikeout. The Falcons started the top of fourth off with a double. A sacrifice bunt got the first out for the Mustangs. A single scored a run before the Mustangs got their second out on a fielder's choice from Peden to Tate Wilkerson. Two more batters reached on a hit by pitch and an error before B. Miller got the third out with a put out to A. Miller. Nichols started off with a walk in the bottom of the fourth. A putout gave the Falcons their first out. B. Miller worked the pitcher to reach on four balls before out number two came on a pop up. Peden reached on error that scored Nichols and B. Miller. Baggett also reached on error by the second baseman to score Peden. A putout ended the inning. Wilkerson took over on the mound in the top of fifth. The Mustangs recorded a three up three down inning with two strikeouts from Wilkerson and a putout from Wilkerson to A. Miller. The Mustangs had a huge inning at the plate. A putout got the first batter out for out one. Tyree started things with a single before a fielder's choice hit by Nichols led to Tyree being thrown out. The Mustangs then put on a great two out rally. Bradley Cornell hit a single to score Nichols. B. Miller then hit a hard double to left to score Cornell. Monteiro and Peden both drew walks to load the bases. A single to left from Baggett scored B. Miller and Monteiro. A. Miller came to the plate next and knocked a triple to right to score Peden and Baggett. Wilkerson drew a walk at the plate before a fly out ended the inning. The Falcons had their bats going as well in the top of the sixth starting off with a single and then followed by a two run homer. The Mustangs fought back and got their three outs courtesy of putouts from Baggett and Wilkerson to A. Miller, and a fly out to Nichols. The Mustangs were also swinging in the sixth. Nichols got things going with a single to right center followed by a single from Cornell to left. B. Miller then stepped up to the plate and rocked the ball over the scoreboard for a three run home run and the first Mustang homer of the season. The Falcons made a pitching change before Monteiro hit a single up the middle to reach. Peden laid a bunt down to move the runner for the first out. A fly out and a strikeout ended the inning. The Mustangs made quick work of the Falcons in the top of the seventh. Wilkerson got the first out with a strikeout. Baggett recorded the second out with a putout to A. Miller. A double allowed a Falcon to reach before Wilkerson picked him off at second on throw to Cornell who laid the tag. The Mustangs had one more chance to come back. A strikeout and a fly out got two quick outs in the inning. Nichols tried to start a rally on two with a single to right. A putout from the third baseman ended the Mustangs chances of coming back and it ended the game. The Mustangs made a great comeback from the first two innings losing 16-19. Baggett, B. Miller, and Wilkerson recorded 1, 4, and 3 strikeouts respectively. Hitting doubles for the Mustangs were Baggett and B. Miller. Two triples were hit by A. Miller. Hitting a home run was B. Miller.