Chandler Coates struck out eight and Ryan Cape made a game-saving defensive play to record the last out in a 3-2 Republic win over Rogersville Tuesday night at home. With runners on 2nd and 3rd and two outs in the top of the 7th inning, Cape ranged to his left at 2nd base, made a diving stop on a ground ball by Jordan Fitzpatrick, and threw Fitzpatrick out from his knees.
Rogersville had put two runners in scoring position after Republic’s defense let a fly ball fall in shallow center field. Coates says he didn’t let the defensive miscue worry him.
“The (runs) they scored… were really my mistake, so if we do have a little error like that, it’s something we can come back from,” Coates says. “It really doesn’t worry me that much because we had runners in scoring position multiple times throughout the game and my defense was able to come through.”
It was the first win of the year for Republic, who improved to 1-3. Quigley says the slow start doesn’t worry him.
“We have a good ball club. We got off to a rough start. This tournament is tough. This is as good a teams as your going to see,” Quigley says. “The first game, we saw a really good pitcher–probably one of the best ones we’re going to see all year–and we only had five strikeouts. Then we go to Branson and I think we only had four strikeouts there. We’ve been putting the ball in play. Our focus has been to get a better pitch to hit. Don’t just swing at the first thing close. Get something you can drive. We’re doing a better job with that.”
The Tigers managed only two hits — one by Landin Sigman and one by Josh Gentry. They took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the 2nd inning when Sigman doubled home Gage Morris, who had reached on an error.
In the top of the 3rd, Rogersville scored an unearned run to tie the game, but Republic answered with two runs in the bottom half of the inning. Cape drew a two-out walk. Regan Butterworth reached on an error, and he and Butterworth both scored to make it 3-1.
Brett Denney homered in the 6th to cut the lead to 3-2, but that was as close as Rogersville would get.
Coates allowed two runs — one earned — on four base hits and two walks for the Tigers. He’s now 1-1.
The Tigers are 1-3. They play Nixa on Thursday.
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