We hit the road again for our tenth game of the season. It’s another long road trip to southeast Missouri, nearly four hours to Neelyville. The Tigers are 5-4 this season and were picked to finish second in District 3. I’ve got Doug Parlier back on the mound, which gives me hope of winning this game. My guys do a good job to start the game, drawing two walks and capitalizing with Samir Shivers hitting a two-run double to give Doug an early cushion. I’m hoping it’s all he needs. But he makes me nervous in the bottom half of the inning when he gives up back-to-back singles with two outs. He gets out of the inning, though, and we hold our two-run lead. Neelyville gets on the board in the 4th with a solo shot to cut the lead to 2-1. Doug gives up two more base hits in the 6th but again manages to escape the inning as we cling to our one-run advantage. I pull Parlier after six and Jim Gillespie pitches a scoreless 7th for us. With one out in the 8th, we draw three straight walks to load the bases. The Tigers bring in a new pitcher and Corey Downs hits the first pitch he sees for a 2-RBI double to right center. Chris Hadley is intentionally walked to load the bases again to bring up Blake McManus. Blake has struggled at the plate, but on this at-bat, he works the count full before delivering an RBI single to right. Two batters later, the inning is over, but we now lead 5-1. Gillespie remains in the game for us, giving up a run in the inning to make it 5-2. I get my closer, Darius Turner, to warm up in the top of the 9th to prepare for the save. Shivers gives us an insurance run with an RBI double in the 9th, and Turner sits the Tigers down in order to give us the win, 6-2. We move up to 6-4 on the year and are currently tied for second in our district.
