Cooper Thomas struck out seven over seven innings, but Republic dropped a 2-1 decision to Springfield Catholic on Thursday after the Irish scored the winning run in the bottom of the eighth.
Thomas allowed one earned run on three hits and five walks. He gave way to Maddox West to start the eighth, and Catholic pushed a run across with the help of a Republic error to end it.
Republic broke the scoreless tie in the top of the fourth on a two-out home run to left field by Chase Connell. His blast accounted for the only Tiger run and four of the team’s eight total bases.
Catholic answered in the bottom of the sixth. Nate Lask doubled to left, Nic Ruter walked and Rhett Layne dropped a bunt single to load the bases with nobody out. Jack Smith tied the game with a sacrifice fly to center, but Thomas escaped further trouble with a strikeout and a groundout.
Republic stranded runners in scoring position in three earlier innings. The Tigers loaded the bases with two outs in the second but couldn’t score. They put two on with one out in the third, but back-to-back outs ended the inning. Greg Hicks led off the sixth with a single before West grounded into a double play.
In the bottom of the eighth, Lask was hit by a pitch and Ruter walked. Layne bunted into a fielder’s choice, and courtesy runner Kennedy Brown scored from second on a Republic error.
Elye Henderson picked up the win in relief, going six innings and allowing one earned run on four hits with no walks. West took the loss.
Connell, Nolan Lashley, Landon Blankenship, Landon Perkins and Greg Hicks each had a hit for Republic. Carter Coggin and Perkins recorded the Tigers’ two stolen bases.
Linescore
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 R H E
Republic 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 5 1
Catholic 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 2 3 0
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