BARTLETT – The Thrall Tigers (12-6 overall, 4-3 District 27-2A) scored early and often in an 18-3 thrashing of the Bartlett Bulldogs (4-11, 0-6) Tuesday.
The Tigers got off to a fast start, scoring three runs in the opening stanza. Ty Bradford, who singled to open the inning, scored on a routine grounder by Bobby Clark to push the first run across. Maverick McAllister added another run, scoring on a passed ball, and Jaden Rodriguez’s sacrifice fly scored Hayden Heselmeyer for a 3-0 Tiger lead.
Thrall continued to pile on the runs in the second. A pair of singles from McAllister and Brady Burlison, and a Bartlett error accounted for the first of seven runs in the inning. A sacrifice fly and another wild pitch pushed the Tigers’ lead to 6-0, and it appeared the Bulldogs would be able to get out of the inning, until Thrall strung together three hits from Anthony Sandoval, Asa Gibbs, and Burlison that made the score 10-0.
A two-run error by the Bulldogs with two outs in the third allowed two more Thrall runs to come across, and Rodriguez plated another run when the Bartlett pitcher was called for a balk. After three innings, Thrall led by a comfortable 13-0 margin.
The Tigers tallied one additional run in the fourth inning on a runscoring Carter Bradford single and, Thrall rounded out their scoring in the fifth when Heselmeyer lined a two-run single to left and Meiske hit a two-run single to center to push the Tigers lead to 18-0.
Bartlett finally got on the board in the bottom half of the fifth inning. The Bulldogs were able to put together a pair of hits and two walks, along with a Thrall error to score three, but it was too little, too late.
Heselmeyer, Carter Bradford, Gibbs, and Burlison each contributed two hits to the Tigers 12-hit attack. Heselmeyer drove in three runs, and McAllister scored four times for the Tigers. McAllister also got the win, allowing one hit in two innings of work.
Thrall was to host the Chilton Pirates Saturday, and they will remain at home Tuesday when they face the Milano Eagles.
