NEVER GIVE UP THE FIGHT: Opp Bobcats rally past Luverne in final frame
Published 12:05 am Tuesday, March 27, 2018
The Opp Bobcats fell behind early in the game, but rallied in the seventh for an 8-7 victory over the Luverne Tigers on Monday in the opening night of Opp’s Butch Youman’s Spring Break tournament.
In the top of the second inning, Luverne pushed across three runs to take an early lead.
Bryant Rushing started the frame with a single and the moved up to second on bunt single from Hunter Kendrick.
The Tigers then loaded the bases with an infield single from Blake Tomlin.
Opp looked like they might escape damage after the next two batters were retired without giving up a run, but then back-to-back two-out hits put the Tigers on top.
In the bottom of the second inning, the Bobcats got their first two base runners of the game when Brett James and Dalton Grider drew one-out walks.
However, the Bobcats were unable to get a run across in the frame.
The Tigers added to their lead in the top of the third when a two-run single from Tomlin put Luverene up 5-0.
In the top of the fourth inning, the Tigers pushed across two more runs and looked like they might end the game early, but the Bobcats had other plans.
Kody Richburg laced a double down to left field to start the bottom of the fourth inning.
Ethan Baker followed with a single to give the Bobcats their first run of the game.
Trey Moody later drove in a run to make the score 7-2 going into the fifth inning.
In the bottom of the fifth, Spurlin Kelley drove in Hal Smithart too cut the Tigers’ lead down to 7-3.
Opp continued to battle and inched closer in the bottom of the sixth with Smithart driving in a run.
A sacrifice bunt from Brady James then allowed two Bobcat runners to score and make the score 7-6 heading into the seventh.
In the bottom of the seventh, Lane Worley was hit by a pitch to start the inning and moved to second when Richburg reached off of an error.
Baker was hit by a pitch to load the bases and then Brett James drove in two runs to pull out the walk-off win for the Bobcats.