Choctaws fall to Munford bats in TSSAA Class 3A Sectional Game 3

 




Jason Peevyhouse

Editor, JP Productions Sports

The Dyer County baseball season came to an end on Thursday night in Munford thanks to a trio of four-run innings by the Cougars as the Choctaw bats came up just short of reaching the TSSAA Class 3A State Tournament for the third straight season with a 13-8 loss in Tipton County.

With the game tied at 0-0 after an inning and a half, Lowry led off the frame with a double then a pair of flyballs looked to put Dyer County on the verge of getting out of the inning. But, Hawkins homered to left to put two on the board and give the Cougars the lead. A walk followed then Greenland reached on an error. A hit batter and a Fortner singled followed to chase Choctaw starter Jack Smith from the game and load the bases. Lowry drew a walk to push across another run before a fly out ended the frame with Munford on top 4-0 after two innings.


Dyer County answered immediately and definitively. With one out, Easton Ozment, the Choctaw reliever, helped get his team back in it with a solo homer to left. Trey Starnes walked and David Headtke singled to load the bases. A flyout followed which allowed both runners to advance. This proved to be a key move as Smith walked to load the bases then Nick Epperson drove in two runs with a single. Weston Sims walked to load the bases again before Jake Gentry singled in two more runs to put Dyer County on top 5-4 after the top of the third.

But, as meager as the offenses had been in the previous two games the night before, Munford also continued to put runs on the board. Wright singled then Greenland homered to center to put Munford back on top. A sacrifice bunt by Greenland and a sacrifice fly by Yount each scored a run to put Munford on top 8-5 after three innings.

The Choctaws got half of those runs back in the top of the fourth. Ozment was hit by a pitch then Starnes walked before Headtke reached on an error with a liner off the pitcher’s glove. Messer drew a bases-loaded walk to score a run then Smith grounded into a double play which also pushed across a run before a fly out ended the frame with Dyer County trailing 8-7.

Dyer County got out of a two-on, two-out jam in the bottom of the fourth but the Cougars struck with another four-spot in the bottom of the fifth. Greenland led off with a single leading to back-to-back walks from Yount and Fortner to load the bases. After a flyout, Lowry drew a bases-loaded walk then Yount scored on a passed ball before a two-run double from Wright put Munford on top 12-7 after five frames.

The Choctaws answered with one run in the top of the sixth with a bases-loaded walk from Epperson to cut the Munford lead to 12-8.

The Cougars answered with an RBI single from Lowry in the bottom of the frame to take a five-run lead into the seventh.


Dyer County kept things interesting as Daniels singled to lead off the inning. But, after a fly out and a fielder’s choice, the Choctaws were down to their last out. Headtke followed with a single then Messer reached on an error before a Smith grounder to first ended with Lowry barely beating Smith to the bag to end the game and put Munford in the state tournament for the first time in three seasons.

Headtke and Daniels each had a pair of singles for the Choctaws in the loss with Ozment’s third-inning homer being the only extra base hit for Dyer County on Thursday.

Ozment took the loss, allowing six runs on six hits with a strikeout in 2.1 innings of work.

The loss ends the Choctaws’ season with a record of 23-15.

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