RHS’s Hayden Evans (top) and Reed Smith (bottom) led the Golden Tigers to a victory over Muscle Shoals last Tuesday.

By Randy Seal

For the FCT

After returning from their spring break at the Gulf Coast Classic, the Russellville Golden Tigers jumped right back into area play against the Muscle Shoals Trojans last Tuesday.

The Tigers showed up offensively and defensively putting the Trojans away with a score of 11-1.

The Tigers came out hitting the ball very well in the series opener against the Trojans with Austin Kitterman following up a base hit by Reed Smith with a triple, which scored the Tigers’ first run of the game.

Then in the fourth, Smith blasted a two-run homer over the right-field fence, which gave the Tigers a 4-1 lead.

On the defensive side of the game, the Tigers had freshman Cody Greenhill on the mound, who has been the best pitcher for the Tigers up to this point in the season. Greenhill pitched the complete game going five innings with eight strikeouts and only giving up one run.

At the plate for the Tigers, Smith went 2-2 with a homerun and three RBIs. Hayden Evans went 2-3 with an RBI. Childers added two hits, and Kitterman went 1-2 with two RBIs in the win over the Trojans.
On Thursday, the Tigers resumed the series against the Trojans in a doubleheader at the Trojans’ home field where the Tigers fell short in an 8-6 loss in the first game.

In the loss for the Tigers, Aaron Jackson went 4 1/3 innings with two strikeouts. Greenhill had two hits, Kitterman had two RBIs, and Smith added a hit.
In the second game of the doubleheader, and the tie-breaker game for the series, the Tigers fell to the Trojans 11-1.

Jacob Green started for the Tigers and got into some early trouble in the first inning and was relieved by Austin Kitterman, who went the rest of the way for the Tigers.

Despite Kitterman’s eight strikeouts in six innings, the Tigers still came up short.

At this point in area play, the Tigers are in a four-way tie with Muscle Shoals, Athens and Lawrence County.

The Tigers will play Athens on April 8 to finish their area play.