Choctaws split two Thursday games at Collierville

 

The Dyer County baseball team continued its lengthy road trip to open the season with the Choctaws playing their ninth and tenth games away from Newbern on Thursday in Collierville where the Choctaws earned a split to move to 5-5 on the season.

The orange and white took the first game of the day, 6-3, over St. George’s but fell in the second game of the day, 2-1, to hosting Collierville.

Dyer County 6, St. George’s 3

A three-run sixth inning broke a 3-3 tie and pushed the Choctaws to their fifth win of the season – all on the road.

Dyer County broke a scoreless tie in the top of the third when David Headtke singled then scored on a Talon Messer double to put the Choctaws on top 1-0 after an inning and a half.

The Choctaws got back onto the board in the top of the fifth and it was again Messer doing the damage. Jack Smith reached on an error with one out and Headtke singled which lead to another Messer double. This time two runs scored to put the Choctaws on top 3-0 heading into the bottom of the fifth.

But, a pair of run-scoring singles from St. George’s tied the game at 3-3 after five frames.

Dyer County’s answer was immediate in the top of the sixth. Jake Gentry led off with a single. Two batters later following a sacrifice bunt from Landon Daniels and a strikeout, Everett Kuykendall singled in Gentry to put Dyer County back on top. Two hit batters later, it was Messer again, this time with a two-run single to push the Choctaw lead to 6-3 after five and a half innings.

Dyer County then worked around a leadoff single in the bottom of the sixth to get out of the frame with the lead in tact. After the first two batters in the seventh reached base, two strikeouts by Easton Ozment and a fly out sealed the win for the Choctaws.

Messer led the way at the plate for Dyer County with a pair of doubles and a single with five runs driven in. Headtke and Daniels each had a pair of singles in the win.

Ozment picked up the win on the mound, allowing three runs on nine hits with six strikeouts.

Collierville 1, Dyer County 0

A lone Dragon run in the top of the second proved to be the difference as the Choctaws fell in the second game of the day.

Dyer County threatened in the top of the first when Messer walked then Koleman Pride singled with two outs before a strikeout ended the frame.

A one-out single in the top of the second by Daniels gave Dyer County a baserunner but he was caught stealing later in the frame to end the inning with the game scoreless.

A one-out RBI single from Dragon Preston Sumner put Collierville on the board and ahead 1-0 after two innings.

Two innings later, the Choctaws looked poised to answer with a Messer single and a Pride walk before a double play later in the frame ended the inning with Dyer County still trailing.

Though Dyer County was able to get runners on in the fifth and sixth innings but the Dragons held their lead before retiring the side in the seventh for the win.

Daniels led Dyer County with a pair of singles, two of the Choctaws’ four hits.

Willis held the Dragons to one run on two hits with nine strikeouts in the loss.

Dyer County returns to action on Friday when the Choctaws travel to Arlington at 7 p.m.

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