Republic dropped both ends of a doubleheader on Saturday in Columbia, falling short in a comeback effort against Rolla, then losing a late lead against Rock Bridge.
Rolla 4, Republic 3
Against Rolla, Republic trailed 3-0 after three innings before cutting into the lead in the fourth. Maddox West scored on a Landon Perkins double, and Perkins came home on an error to make it 3-2.
Rolla pushed the lead back to two in the bottom of the fourth when Blaine Sbabo scored on a sacrifice fly.
Republic made it 4-3 in the seventh when Nolan Lashley doubled and scored on a Brennan Overstreet sacrifice fly. The Tigers had the tying run on third base when the game ended.
Rolla starter Colton Petersmith and reliever Logan Jenkins combined to strike out 11 batters. Brennan Overstreet pitched well but took the loss, allowing four runs — only two of them earned — in five innings.
Cooper Thomas went 2-for-3, and Lashley and Landon Perkins each doubled for Republic.
Rock Bridge 9, Republic 8
In the second game, Republic led 8-6 heading into the bottom of the seventh but gave up three runs to lose to Rock Bridge 9-8.
Rock Bridge took a 4-0 lead through two innings, but Republic came alive with six runs in the third. Fisher Moore walked, Chase Connell singled to put runners on the corners, and Lashley was hit by pitch to load the bases. Cooper Thomas walked to force in a run. Brennan Overstreet singled in two more. Preston McCracken drove in another with a groundout, and Perkins doubled in Overstreet to give Republic a 5-4 lead. Jackson Taylor followed with a single to score Perkins, making it 6-4.
Rock Bridge cut it to 6-5 in the fourth, but Republic scored two runs on a wild pitch and a passed ball in the sixth inning to take an 8-5 lead.
In the seventh and trailing 8-6, Rock Bridge loaded the bases with one out. Cade Bass singled in one run, then Aiden Schulze hit into a fielder’s choice that allowed two more to score, giving Rock Bridge the walk-off win.
Lashley went 4-for-4 and scored two runs in the second game. The Tigers struck out ten times.
Maddox West took the loss, allowing four runs in 2 1/3 innings of work.
Republic falls to 1-2. The Tigers will play at Rogersville on Tuesday.
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