It took extra baseball, but the Indians dropped a 10-8 extra inning thriller against region foes Athens Academy on Monday night. The loss snapped a 3-game win streak for TFS.
The Indians led 2-1 after the first inning but saw the visitors take a 6-3 lead in the fourth before a 4-run outburst gave the home team a lead. Athens Academy took a one-run lead in the sixth, but TFS tied it in the home half. A pair of ninth inning runs gave the Spartans the win.
Frankey Moree had a bases-loaded walk, and Danny Grant drove in a run on a fielder’s choice in the first. Norman Bastian singled in a run in the second and another in the fourth. Grant and Tyler Popham had RBI singles in the fourth as well, while Kylar Clouatre doubled in the tying run. Popham’s single was the go-ahead 7-6 run prior to the Spartans coming back. Malique Charlton scored on a wild pitch in the sixth to tie the game at 8-8.
The Indians had the bases loaded in the eighth with one out, but Athens Academy danced out of trouble. They promptly scored two in the ninth to earn the win. TFS recorded 13 hits in the game. Popham led with three hits, while Charlton, Bastian, and Clouatre had two apiece. Bastian earned the loss on the mound, going the final 3.2 innings.
The Indians are now 10-9 overall and 4-6 in region play, with crucial games this week against Athens Academy on Tuesday on the road and Thursday at home.
