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Still in the hunt

Fri, 04/29/2016 - 2:28 pm

Stayin’ Alive was a popular song in the 70s. It should become the unofficial theme song of the Jacksboro baseball team.

After a 2-6 start to District 9-3A, the Tigers have fought their way back into the postseason conversation, winning four of their last five, including a 6-0 homefield win over Wichita Falls City View. Jacksboro is now 6-7 in district and 9-14 overall.

Tiger Coach Blake Belcher said his squad, which picked up just six hits, still isn’t doing the job offensively at the plate but with a win over Paradise Friday in the regular season finale, the squad is in the playoff hunt.

“We win, there’s a chance of us, Boyd and Holliday fighting for the last two playoff spots,” Belcher said following the 1:48 contest. “We can’t worry about what anyone else is doing. We just need to take care of our business.”

With the bats continuing in a funk, junior Hunter Drennan and sophomore Tyler Harmonson combined on a two-hitter, striking out 13. The pair also walked five and hit a pair of batters.

Belcher liked the way Harmonson, a southpaw, took care of his business.

“Tyler continually works ahead (in the count),” Belcher offered. “He spots the ball real well and that’s why he had the game he did.”

Harmonson struck out seven, striking out the side in the 5th and 7th innings with no walks and a hit batter.

Drennan, who threw the first four innings, aided his own cause with a two-run homer over the wall in left in the first. Jacksboro added a single run in the third with Trey Pruitt opening with a single, courtesy runner Fernando Piedra coming home on a Zach Hamm single to center.

The Tigers added three runs in the sixth, paced by a two-run single from Clay Botello. For the game, however, Jacksboro stranded nine runners six in scoring position.

Gametime in Paradise Friday is 7:30 p.m.