THRALL — The Thrall Tigers varsity baseball team split their home-and-home series against the Franklin Lions, winning 6-3 on Tuesday, March 11, before falling 6-1 on Thursday, March 13.
Game 1: Tigers take opener Senior utility player Maverick McAllister led the Tigers to victory in the series opener, pitching 6 2/3 innings while allowing three runs on five hits and striking out seven.
Thrall struck first in the top of the first inning when sophomore Gus Navejas singled and senior courtesy runner Nick Treuter came around to score, giving the Tigers a 1-0 lead. They added another run in the third on a Franklin error to make it 2-0.
The Lions responded in the bottom half, tying the game at 2-2 on a two-run double. After a scoreless fourth inning, the Tigers regained the lead in the fifth. Sophomore Weston Smiley drove in a run with an RBI single, and senior Ethan Boecker added another on a sacrifice fly, putting Thrall ahead 4-2.
Franklin cut the deficit to one with a solo home run in the bottom of the inning, but Smiley came through again in the sixth with a two-run single to give the Tigers some breathing room. He finished the game 2-for-4 at the plate with four RBIs.
Game 2: Tigers struggle at the plate
Thrall couldn’t replicate its offensive success in the second game, managing just three hits in a 6-1 loss.
Franklin took control early with an RBI double in the first inning to go up 2-0. The Lions added another run in the third on a fielder’s choice, making it 3-0.
After a scoreless fourth, Franklin tacked on three more runs in the fifth. A hit-by-pitch plated one, followed by two more scoring on a fielder’s choice and a throwing error.
The Tigers’ lone run came in the bottom half of the inning when Navejas doubled in a run to cut the deficit to 6-1. However, Thrall couldn’t generate any more offense and dropped the series finale.
Junior Bryce Brinkmeyer took the loss throwing one inning giving up two runs on two hits. Sophomore Jack Gustafson and senior Ty Matthews came in for relief.
Thrall is now 11-2-1 overall and 1-1 in district play. The Tigers will return to action on Tuesday, March 18, when they host Caldwell at 7 p.m.
