Tigers pick up trio of close wins

Published 5:27 pm Friday, April 17, 2009

Even though it’s spring break, the Greenville Tigers aren’t taking the week off.

Instead, the Tigers picked up three wins — two against Straughn and one against Highland Home.

All three games went into extra innings.

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In the first game against Straughn on Tuesday, Greenville won 10-9 in nine innings.

Raymond Moody led the Tigers with two runs scored and a home run after going 4-6 from the plate.

Ryan Smith was 3-6 with two runs scored and Nick Davis also scored two runs.

Head coach Brad Horn said pitching was a strong point for the Tigers.

“Josh Ray did well on the mound for us,” Horn said. “I was impressed by the fact that he pitched 38 pitches in four innings. That’s keeping the pitch count down, throwing strikes and getting outs.”

Ray pitched for four innings and gave up one earned run.

The game-winning run came after Nick Davis led off the ninth with a single and Nathan Branum brought him home.

In the second game, which also went nine innings, Greenville won 5-3.

Moody went 2-4 from the plate, Smith was 2-3 and Rush Nimmer went 2-4.

Stewart Moody pitched the entire game and struck out eight.

Smith started the ninth inning with a long double and Branum had another hit to score Smith.

Raymond Moody also scored on an error in the inning.

Against Highland Home on Wednesday, the Tigers pulled out a 6-4 win in eight innings.

Smith, Hunter Harrell, and both Moody brothers all went 2-4, and Nick Davis went 1-4 with two RBIs.

Raymond Moody also had a two-run home run in the eighth inning.

Branum got the win on the mound and Cordez Peagler picked up the save.

“Coming off two nine-inning games on Tuesday, we should have won the game before that, but we just didn’t hit the ball like we did earlier in the week,” Horn said.

The Tigers took Thursday off before traveling to Troy Friday night to face Charles Henderson in the playoffs.

“It was good for us to see live pitching and play this week instead of taking batting practice,” he said. “Everyone has hit well for these three games, and the guys I’m pitching haven’t thrown since Tuesday.”

Horn has plans to pitch Ray, Nimmer and Raymond Moody against CHHS, with Stewart Moody making the start on Saturday if the Tigers make it that far.

“That’s the plan,” Horn said. “It all depends on if we hit the ball. If we do that, we have a good chance to come out with a win.”

Results were unavailable at press time.