Parker Nelson had three base hits, reached base four times, and for the second time in a week, delivered a walk-off hit as the Tigers squeaked past Neosho 3-2 in 10 innings Tuesday night.
Nelson’s late-inning heroics made a winner of relief pitcher Jansen McQuerter, who pitched two scoreless inning. It also salvaged a stellar effort by Tigers’ starter Chandler Coates, didn’t get a decision despite allowing only two runs on five hits in eight innings before being lifted in the 9th.
The teams had traded runs twice, with the Tigers answering the Wildcats each time they scored. After Neosho jumped ahead 1-0, the Tigers tied it on an RBI groundout by Regan Butterworth in the bottom of the 1st. Neosho scored another run in the 5th, but the Tigers tied the game on a passed ball in the bottom of the inning.
The score stayed that way until the bottom of the 10th. McQuerter led off the inning with his third hit of the night, and Alex Reynolds reached on an error while trying to sacrifice McQuerter to second. After Austin Atkins walked, Nelson lined the game-winner into left field.
The win is the 11th of the year for the Tigers, against only four losses. The Tigers are 3-2 in the Central Ozark Conference. They host Webb City for a COC game Thursday.
