Hawks Down Tigers to Advance to District Semis

An fluky run in the top of the first didn’t slow Clopton down as the beat Mark Twain 8-4 to advance in the Class 2, District 13 baseball tournament.
Starter Maleek McPike hit the Tigers Cole Peters with a pitch, then allowed a two out single to put runners at the corners in the opening inning.
As McPike pitched to Payton Hawkins the field umpire called a balk, saying Maleek failed to come set before delivering his pitch.
The ruling sent Peters home for the games first run.
McPike, unfazed, struck out the batter and brought the Hawks to bat.
In the bottom of the inning Justin Jennewein singled and stole second, Damien Walker was hit by a Peters pitch and Shawn Yates drew a walk to load the bases.
Jennewein would score on a wild pitch, as would Walker and Yates for a 3-1 Clopton lead.
Five of the eight Clopton runs would score on pitches the eluded the Mark Twain catcher.
The Hawks scored twice in the bottom of the third as Walker scored on a wild pitch and Yates crossed the plate on a ground out by Chance Lucas.
The Tigers answered with a pair of runs in the top of the fourth on a bases loaded walk and a sacrifice fly.
Clopton scored again in the bottom of the inning when Jennewein drew a walk, stole second, went to third as the Tigers threw out a batter after a dropped third strike, then scored on a wild pitch.
Dalton Strus drove in one of two Clopton runs in the bottom of the fifth for an 8-3 lead going into the final Tiger at bat.
Mark Twain scored on a wild pitch with two outs in the top of the seventh and had a runner at third, but Dalton Strus struck out Kameron Asquith to end the game.
McPike allowed two earned runs to get the victory while Strus collected the save.
McPike struck out eight Tiger hitter over five innings, throwing 93 pitches in the game.
Shawn Yates was on base four times, collecting three hits and a walk and scoring three runs to earn the Community State Bank/TribCast Player of the Game in the win.
The (3)Hawks will take on the (2)Paris Coyotes in the semifinal game of districts at Silex on Monday.
First pitch is scheduled for 7:30 PM.