By Aries Ramos
Belton Journal
The Belton Tigers baseball team commenced the crucial final series of the regular season with a home game against the Killeen Kangaroos. The Tigers capitalized on the Roos’ errors, converting them into crucial runs on their path to yet another district victory.
The Tigers took the mound to start the game and quickly dealt with the first three Killeen batters. Reese Rumfield took the first at-bat for the Tigers and made quick work of the Killeen pitcher. Rumfield swung for the fences, earning himself a lead of triple, putting him in scoring position with zero outs.
Reese would find himself coming home after the Tigers earned a single thanks to a ground ball straight through the middle of the field. The Kangaroos escaped any additional harm, however, sending the game into the second inning with the Tigers leading 1-0.
The Kangaroos showed signs of life in the second inning getting a runner on second with one out. The Tigers buckled down, however, and quickly found two more outs to end the Kangaroos’ hopes of scoring.
In the bottom of the second, the Tigers came back to the plate looking to extend their lead. Thanks to a wild pitch, the Tigers would get the opportunity to send a runner home and set another up in scoring position on third base. The Tigers found a way to drive in another run before getting their third out of the inning.
Trailing 3-0 in the third inning, the Kangaroos saw themselves sitting with two outs and two strikes with a runner on third. Against all odds, the Kangaroos snuck a ground ball past the pitcher, allowing them to bring in their first run of the game.
The Tigers took a 3-1 lead into the 4th inning and prepared for their next at-bat. Belton wasted no time getting on base and had the bases loaded with 0 outs. The Tigers’ excellent plate discipline led to two walks that scored two runners, a single that drove in a runner, and a sacrifice fly that brought in a single runner.
The Tigers’ great inning brought the game to 7-1, setting them in prime position to finish the game with a win. The Tigers would score three more runs in the 6th inning, setting the score to 10-1.
The 10-1 lead helps the Tigers stay 2nd place in the district as the season ends. The Tigers have the Kangaroos one more time before they head out on their first playoff series of the postseason.
