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Both teams stayed close for five innings before Red Level pulled away with three late runs and outlasted Pleasant Home, 11-6, in varsity baseball action on Friday, March 7.

The Tigers pushed their season record to 4-2, while the Eagles slipped to 1-6.

Connor Blackwell led off the game with an infield single and stole second. Red Level struck first when Buddy Griffin tripled home Blackwell with the initial run. Grayson Hodges reached on an error as Griffin scored and pushed the lead to two. Brock Skipper followed with a single and sent courtesy runner Dawson Austin to third. Reedi Bozeman retired the next two batters and ended the threat.

Bozeman began the bottom of the first with a single and swiped second and third. Pleasant Home looked to cut the deficit in half, but Skipper struck out Logan Cook and Jayce Smith for a 2-0 lead after one inning.

Landon Jernigan drew a leadoff walk in the visiting second, while Tanner Whatley reached on a defensive mistake. Blackwell delivered an RBI single and brought home Jernigan with the third run. Jonathan Nolen was hit by a pitch and loaded the bases with no outs. Bozeman struck out Griffin and nearly limited the damage. Whatley came home on a passed ball, while Blackwell crossed the plate on a wild pitch for a 5-0 lead.

John Luke Colvin opened the home half with a single and stole second as Andrew Clark laid down a sacrifice bunt. Walt Cook grounded out to third, but Colvin scored and trimmed the gap to 5-1 after two innings.

Wyatt Simmons started the top of the third with a single and advanced to second on a passed ball. The Tigers were unable to capitalize when Bozeman struck out three straight. Jude Bradley reached on a defensive miscue and scored when Bozeman helped himself with an RBI double. Jack Wiggins closed the deficit down to two with an RBI groundout. The Eagles put runners at first and second with two outs, but Skipper maintained his 5-3 lead after three innings.

Red Level had a pair of runners aboard in the fourth but could not extend the lead. Bodie Dodd earned a one-out single for Pleasant Home and was picked off at first as neither side scored.

Jacob Walden was hit by a pitch in the top of the fifth and moved into scoring position when Jernigan laid down a sacrifice bunt. Blackwell delivered a two-out RBI single and drove in Walden with the sixth run. Jonathan Nolen followed with a clutch two-run RBI single and gave the Tigers an 8-3 lead. Griffin then doubled and advanced Nolen to third before Hodges was hit by a pitch. Bozeman escaped the bases-loaded jam with a strikeout.

Bozeman was hit by a pitch in the home half but forced out at second as Wiggins reached on a force play. L. Cook knocked a double and set up runners at second and third with one out. Skipper got the second out, but Colvin brought the Eagles within three on a single and error. Clark chased home Colvin with an RBI single and took the score to 8-6 after five innings.

Red Level gained some breathing room with a two-out dropped ball in the sixth. Jernigan and Whatley each came home and took the margin back to four. Whatley took over on the mound as a leadoff walk to Dodd and a single from Bozeman put Pleasant Home in business. Whatley ended the threat with a groundout as the score stayed 10-6 after six innings.

Griffin was hit by a pitch and scored the final run after Austin grounded out. Whatley struck out Smith and Colvin before W. Cook grounded out and closed the game.

Blackwell finished 3-for-5 with three runs scored and two RBIs, while Griffin was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI and Simmons went 2-for-5. Skipper earned the win for the Tigers and allowed six runs (four earned) on seven hits with three strikeouts in five innings.

Bozeman led the Eagles at 3-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI. Colvin posted a 2-for-4 showing with two runs scored and an RBI. Bozeman gave up 10 runs (three earned) on nine hits and struck out nine in six innings.

Red Level will host Elba in an area matchup on Thursday, March 13, starting at 4:30 p.m. Pleasant Home will travel to McKenzie on Friday, March 14, beginning at 5:30 p.m.