Tigers open season with losses to Hawks

The first two games of the season for the Mountain Home Tiger baseball team were filled with pluses and minuses as the Tigers dropped two games to the Skyview Hawks.

Skyview Hawks 17

Mountain Home 13

Last Thursday's season opener was moved from Skyview to Mountain Home after weather conditions left Skyview's field unplayable. Both teams scored four runs in the first and third innings, and the Tigers also scored one in the second, and led, 9-8, after three.

Ben Rodwell came on in relief for Skyview and shut the Tigers down in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings, while the Hawks got to Tiger reliever Jeff Vogl for three runs in the fourth and fifth.

Joe Poseley surrendered three more runs in the final two innings, and Mountain Home trailed, 17-9, going into their last at bat in the seventh.

The Tigers managed to plate four runs in the seventh to make it a 17-13 final.

"You kind of recognize that the first games of the season have the potential to get a little bit ugly, and certainly that's what we saw tonight on both sides," said Mountain Home Tiger head baseball coach Travis DeVore after the game.

"I'm impressed with our hitting, and our pitching was okay. Defense is obviously the thing we've got to work on the most at this point, and that's probably the thing that I'll take on the chin the most, because I think it was the thing we've neglected the most. We had put a big emphasis on hitting this year and pitching, so we'll work more next week on our defense, and we'll get there."

The Tigers out hit Skyview 13-11, with Michael DesPres getting four hits and driving in three runs. Aaron Swartz and Bret Young both had two hits, Swartz had an RBI, Young scored three runs.

Joe Poseley had a hit and drove in three runs, Chris Rau had a hit and two RBIs, Jake Hiler had a hit and an RBI. Corey McGuire and Tyson Sessions both had hits, and Brett Grodi had an RBI.

Michael DesPres went three innings on the mound for Mountain Home and gave up eight runs, just four earned, four hits, struck out five, walked three and hit two batters. Jeff Vogl went two innings, giving up six runs, just three earned, on five hits, striking out one and walking three.

Joe Poseley closed out the game, going the final two innings, giving up three runs, two earned, on two hits,and walking three. Just nine of the 17 runs scored by Skyview were earned.

Skyview Hawks 11

Mountain Home 4

The Tigers went to Skyview last Friday to close out their home-and-home conference series with the Hawks. They again out hit the Hawks, but errors led to six unearned runs as the Hawks prevailed 11-4.

Back-to-back doubles by Brett Grodi and Michael DesPres scored two runs in the first, and the Tigers added another run in the second to go up, 3-1, but Skyview got to Tiger starter Chris Rau for five runs in the bottom of the second to go up, 6-3. The Hawks added four more in the third to put the game out of reach.

"We've got a lot to work on, but I'm not overly discouraged," said Coach DeVore.

"We out hit them both games and lose both games, and that's showing our defense isn't getting it done, and even with that, we left eight runners on base the last three innings.

"There are some things that obviously can be taken care of, and to a certain extent, when you lose and you beat yourselves early in the season, that's actually a good sign, because it shows you there's a lot you can work with, but at the same time, it should give us something to think about over the weekend that we've got to get better, and they are things we've got to get better at."

Brett Grodi had three hits, including two doubles and drove in a run. Michael DesPres had two doubles and two RBIs. Aaron Swartz had two hits and an RBI, and Chris Rau, Kori Andrews and Tyson Sessions also had hits.

Chris Rau suffered the loss, going 2 1/3 innings, giving up eight runs, just four earned, allowed five hits, struck out one, walked four and hit one batter.

Bret Young pitched 2 2/3 innings, giving up three runs, just one earned, on three hits. Aaron Swartz pitched one scoreless, hitless inning, striking out one.

The Tigers return to conference action this week, hosting Emmett tomorrow (Thursday), and traveling to Emmett on Friday.