Aug. 17—TUPELO — The Tupelo Tigers hosted Dale in a battle between two of the top fall baseball teams in the state Tuesday at the Don Weller Baseball Facility.
The Pirates came out on top 8-2 and head coach Clay Weller said it was a case of missed opportunities that did his team in. The Tigers stranded 12 base runners in the contest.
“We had several opportunities to score runs and just never could get a big hit,” Weller said. “If we get a big hit or two with runnings in scoring position, it’s a different ballgame.”
The Tigers host their own 2023 Tupelo Baseball Tournament beginning today at noon when Vanoss takes on Silo in a first-round matchup. Byng meets Moss at 2:15 p.m.; Tupelo plays Rock Creek at 4:30 p.m. and Calera faces Navajo in the 6:45 p.m. nightcap.
Dale 8, Tupelo 2
The game was scoreless until Dale pushed across five runs in the top of the fourth inning. Dayton Forsythe delivered the big blow of the Dale volley, ripping a three-RBI triple with two outs and the bases full of Pirates. The frame also included two Tupelo errors, a balk and a walk.
Cash Wafford was hit by a pitch and later scored on a Dale miscue in the bottom of the fourth inning to get Tupelo within 5-1. The Tigers left a pair of runners in scoring position in that frame.
Tupelo scored another error-aided run in the bottom of the fifth inning to cut the Dale advantage to 5-2.
The Pirates used two walks, a hit batter and the final of three Tupelo errors to score three runs in the top of the sixth inning to get some breathing room.
The Tigers managed just three total hits in the game — singles by Davin Weller, Brody McCollum and Peyton Bills.
Dale collected six hits by six different players. Denton Forsythe finished 1-for-2 with two walks, an RBI and a run scored.
Tupelo starting pitcher Talyon D’Aguanno was solid in defeat. He struck out three, walked four and allowed just one earned run in 3.2 innings. He got relief help from Colton Bourland, McCollum and Wafford.
Cade Dickinson earned the mound win for the Pirates. He struck out two, walked five and didn’t allow an earned run in 4.2 innings thanks in part to four Dale errors. Briar Turman struck out two and didn’t allow a run over the final 2.1 innings.
