The Tigers rapped out 11 hits in an 11-1 victory over Lyon County on Monday, but Caldwell County’s bats were largely silenced by Murray’s Chess Volp on Tuesday.
Volp allowed just one unearned run on four base hits to lead Murray’s Tigers to a 5-1 victory at the VFW Ballpark.
“He’s probably their No. 2 pitcher,” noted Caldwell head coach Bradley Stallins of a Murray squad that looks to have a deep starting rotation and hopes to challenge in the 1st Region. “I think (Bradley) Cobb is their No. 1. But Volp threw well, and we just didn’t make any adjustments until about the third time through the order. We had some baserunners, we just couldn’t come up with that timely base hit when we needed it.”
Murray (2-0) jumped on Caldwell for two runs in the first and another in the second and led all the way.
The homestanding Tigers got their run in the second when Bennie Mullins reached on an error and later scored on a two-out single by Brandon Sigler to make it 3-1.
However, Caldwell had a golden opportunity in the bottom of the sixth with the bases loaded and just one out.
Will Barnes doubled to start the rally. Mullins was then hit by a pitch and Robert Thomas singled sharply to left to load the bases.
Andrew Capps then hit a shot, but right at rightfielder Roman Kelly. Kelly not only made the catch, but threw a strike to the plate to nail Barnes, who tried to tag up and score on the play.
“That was big,” said Stallins. “We were trying to force the issue and make them have to make a play — and they made it. That was a great play.”
Murray added a pair of insurance runs in the top of the seventh to push the final margin to four runs.
“I thought Jake Pepper pitched a great game for us,” said Stallins. “He did everything we ask a pitcher to do, he threw strikes and kept us in the game.
“And offensively we didn’t do that bad. We didn’t have any strikeouts, which is what we’re looking for. We just couldn’t get that key hit.”
Caldwell had no such problems on Monday in 10-running visiting Lyon County in five innings.
The Tigers seemingly took advantage of every Lyon miscue while rolling up double-digit run and hit totals.
Meanwhile, Thomas worked all five innings on the mound for Caldwell, striking out eight while walking none and giving up six singles.
“It’s always good to get that first win under your belt,” said Stallins. “Offensively, we were able to put the ball in play and put some pressure on the defense.
“I think that’s so much of high school baseball. When you sit back and are passive at the plate and don’t put the bat on the ball you usually get beat. It’s the same way with pitching. I thought Robert threw strikes and got people out. He didn’t throw as hard as I’ve seen him throw, but he pitched about as well as I’ve seen him pitch.”
A dropped fly ball in center to start the first inning opened the door for a pair of Tiger runs. Ben Dillingham had an RBI single while Mullins drove home a run with a sacrifice fly.
Lyon cut the gap to 2-1 in the second when Aaron Corley singled and later scored on a single by Cody Galusha.
But the Tigers responded with three runs in the bottom of the frame.
Capps kickstarted the rally with a leadoff triple to the gap in right-center. Jake Heaton walked, then both runners scored on Sigler’s single to make it 4-1. Sigler came in on a double by Corey Brown to extend the margin to 5-1.
Caldwell added three more runs in the third when Pepper tripled home two runs then scored on Dillingham’s single. That made it 8-1.
The Tigers ended the game on the 10-run mercy rule with three runs in the bottom of the fifth.
Sigler singled and later scored on a wild pitch. Pepper singled and scored when Dillingham’s grounder to second was misplayed. Barnes then doubled home Dillingham to end the contest.
Pepper was 3-for-4 at the plate with a pair of RBIs while Dillingham was 2-for-4 and knocked in three. Sigler was 2-for-2 with a pair of RBIs and three stolen bases.
The Tigers will play at home again on Thursday when they host Livingston Central.
Caldwell goes on the road for the first time on Friday when it travels to the 1st Region to face Reidland.
