Golden Tigers start strong

By Staff
Mike Self, Franklin County Times
RUSSELLVILLE – The Russellville Golden Tigers didn't earn any style points in Monday's season-opener, but a win-even an ugly one-was enough to satisfy head coach David Ward.
"A win's a win, and we'll take them however we can get them," said Ward, whose Golden Tigers survived a defensive meltdown in the fifth inning and a sub-par day at the plate to defeat Oneonta 6-3. "We looked a little shaky on defense, and Jacey [Wilson] struggled at times on the mound. He fell behind in the count too much and got in some tough spots, but I wasn't going to pull him. I wanted to leave him out there and let him battle through it and grow up a little."
Wilson (1-0) escaped bases-loaded jams in the third and fifth innings, minimizing the damage to just one run. With the game tied 2-2 in the top of the third, the senior righthander hit a batter and issued back-to-back walks before striking out Corey Jones to end the threat.
Seth Fergerson homered in the bottom of the third to break the tie, and the Golden Tigers added another run in the fourth to make it 4-2.
The defense unraveled in the top of the fifth, committing three errors as Oneonta pushed across a run to trim the lead to 4-3. Wilson walked Jones with two outs to load the bases again, but he retired C.J. Habaur on a grounder to short to end the inning.
Russellville added a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth when Matt Crawford and Patrick Hines both walked, stole a base and then scored on wild pitches by Justin Bryant.
Cory Trapp, who escaped a second-and-third jam in the sixth thanks to a great catch by Hines along the right-field line, pitched around an error with a pair of strikeouts in the seventh to earn the save.
The Golden Tigers had just five hits but stole five bases in the game, three by leadoff man Caleb Mitchell.
Mitchell walked, stole a base and later scored on a passed ball in the bottom of the first, and he beat out an infield hit in the fourth before stealing second and third and then trotting home on a throwing error by the catcher.
Ward said he was glad to have Mitchell back in the lineup after the junior centerfielder missed the final 12 games of last season with an injured hand.
"I don't think Caleb knows how much it hurt us last year when he hurt his hand," said Ward, whose club lost eight of its last 10 games without its offensive catalyst. "He makes so much happen for us on the bases. We spend a lot of time studying pitchers and their pick-off moves, and once we figure out a guy's move we like to take advantage of our speed. Caleb always has the green light."
Ward also said he was glad to have the home run threat of Fergerson, who sat out virtually all of last season, back in the lineup.
Fergerson quickly made his presence known in the bottom of the third, blasting an opposite field homer to right-center off Oneonta starter James Daily to give Russellville the lead for good.
"That's something we haven't had in a while," said Ward, whose team failed to break double-figures in home runs last season. "They were working Seth away early in the game, and he was trying to pull the ball. I told him not to try and pull that outside pitch, but to take it the other way. He's got great power to the opposite field. That home run he hit would have been out in any park."
Evan Fergerson added a pair of hits for Russellville, including an RBI single in the first inning that broke a 1-1 tie. Oneonta tied the game 2-2 with a run in the top of the second.
Wilson ended up allowing three runs, two earned, on four hits in five innings. He struck out six and walked three.
Fergerson later added a double to go along with his home run.
In other action on Monday:
Russellville 15 Danville 0
Jake Ward, Seth Fergerson and Patrick Hines each drove in three runs as the Golden Tigers improved to 2-0 with a rout of the Hawks.
Fergerson had a two-run single and Torey Baird added a two-run double in the first inning as Russellville claimed a quick 5-0 lead. Hines' three-run double highlighted a 10-run second inning that blew the game open.
Ward finished 3-for-3 with two doubles, two stolen bases and three runs scored. Caleb Mitchell had two hits, and Corey Trapp doubled and scored twice. Corey Flanagan walked three times and scored two runs, and John Batchelor and Josh James each had one hit.
Five Russellville pitchers combined to strike out 11 batters and allow just two hits in five innings. Preston Beasley and Ward each struck out two batters in an inning of work, and Seth Rhudy and James each struck out the side in the third and fourth innings, respectively. Batchelor pitched the final inning.
Russellville was scheduled to be back in action Tuesday at home against Hamilton.