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By Ron Marvel

Star Correspondent

The T.A. Dugger boys played host to Church Hill Thursday afternoon, and after giving up four runs in the second inning, clamped down defensively to improve their overall record to 8-6.

Looking to jump out early, the Jr. Cyclones grabbed the lead in the first inning thanks to a couple of singles off the bats of Mason Treadway and Hanley Diaz and jumped out to a 1-0 lead; but they wouldn’t be done. With two outs, Levi Yancey hit a liner to center and Drake Lytton hit a ground ball up the middle that couldn’t be handled, and Yancey and Bryce Lillard scampered home to make it 3-0 after the first inning.

The Panthers responded in the top of the second, putting four runs on the board and grabbing a 4-3 advantage. The Panthers’ lead wouldn’t last long, though, as the Jr. Cyclones got a run back when A. Shelby hit a double up the middle and then scored on a Panthers error to knot the game at 4-all.

The game stayed tied as Cyclones pitcher Josh Hankins worked out of trouble in the third and sent the Panthers down in order in the fifth. TAD threatened to break the tie in the fifth as Adam Shelby drew a walk and then advanced to third on a Lillard hard ground ball to short for a single. Unfortunately, the inning ended as Shelby was caught trying to steal home on a passed ball. Hankins picked up three strikeouts to keep the Panthers at bay in the top of the fifth.

A determined Jr. Cyclones squad broke the tie in their half of the fifth when Hankins helped his own cause with a double to the gap in center that plated Ryan Ribiero, who had earlier picked up a double of his own. With one out, reliever Nathan McKeehan took the mound in the sixth, inducing a groundout and picking up a strikeout, helping preserve the Jr. Cyclones’ advantage.

Tasting a win, the Cyclones picked up a couple of insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth as they showed patience at the plate, drawing three consecutive walks to load the bases. Callen Reed picked up an RBI with a sac fly to left, and Yancey then hit a single to the opposite field to make it 7-4. The Cyclones closed the door in the top of the seventh by setting down the Panthers in order.

“This team, man, we have seen our fair share of trials, but yet we still rise above. I feel like we are just now hitting our stride and seeing the potential of what we can do. We are starting to play some really good baseball, and it couldn’t come at a better time with tournaments on the horizon. Proud of these guys and their fight!” TAD coach Korey Hardin excitedly shared.

The Cyclones had the bats going as they collected 14 hits in all; Yancey led the way by going 3-for-4 in the game, while Treadway, Dillard and Lytton each chipped in two hits. The combo of Hankins (win) and McKeehan (save) had a solid day on the mound for the Jr. Cyclones as they teamed up to surrender no earned runs and just one walk while recording eight strikeouts.