Tigers slip against Lindale

Texas High Tigers catcher Jackson Halter tags out a Lindale Eagles runner at home plate on Friday at Tiger Field in Texarkana, Texas.
Texas High Tigers catcher Jackson Halter tags out a Lindale Eagles runner at home plate on Friday at Tiger Field in Texarkana, Texas.

A pinnacle moment in the fight for the District 15-5A baseball championship happened Friday at Tiger Field.

Unfortunately for Texas High, that moment went in favor of the visiting Lindale Eagles, who escaped with a 4-2 victory over the Tigers.

Front-runner Texas High (10-3) saw its district lead shrink to only one game over second-place Lindale (9-4).

The Tigers face Sulphur Springs twice next week, while Lindale plays Greenville twice. Mount Pleasant, Royse City and Sulphur Springs continue to battle for the third and fourth playoff spots.

Lindale used a timely extra-base hit to knock off the Tigers. With the score tied at 2-2 and a runner aboard in the fifth inning, Eagle second baseman Brandon Burckel belted the game-winning two-run homer. Burckel's home run plated Cody Pike, giving the Eagles a 4-2 lead which they never relinquished.

The 2-run round tripper came off Tiger freshman pitcher Rian Cellers, who allowed four runs on seven hits over six innings. He struck out five and walked two.

Lindale's Landon Chaney picked up the win and Sebastian Coulter got the save.

The Eagles grabbed a 2-0 lead in the first inning, taking advantage of singles by Pike and Kam Wheeler and a Tiger fielding error. A perfect throw from THS right fielder Connor Allred to catcher Jackson Halter nailed Pike at the plate, preventing an even bigger inning for Lindale.

The Tigers answered in the home half of the second inning. Jakob Hearne, Michael Sikorsky and Luke Smith singled to lead the bases.

Chris Sutton reached on a fielder's choice, scoring Hearne. Cellers then singled in Smith, knotting the score at 2-all. Cellers finished with two hits in three at-bats.

Texas High and Lindale had plenty of runners on base, but they couldn't bring them home. The Tigers stranded eight runner and the Eagles five.

Texas High's next game will be at home Tuesday against Sulphur Springs.

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