Valley Sports ReportTIOGA CENTER — The Tioga baseball team found itself trailing Groton by six runs early in Monday’s IAC clash here, but managed to rally to pull out a 12-8 victory.
Down 6-0, the Tigers got a pair of runs back in the home half of the second inning. Cam Ross got things going, reaching on a leadoff error, then Jaxon Bidwell drew a one-out walk. Both players moved up on a passed ball and Ross scored on a balk. Anthony Powell drew a base on balls and Brayden Lounsbury was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Josh Rought walked to score Bidwell.
The Red Hawks loaded the bases with two away in the second, but Brendan Clark ended the threat with a strikeout.
The Tioga bats got hot in the bottom of the inning as Paugh led off with a double and Ross singled. Clark took one for the team, then Bidwell and Carter Stoughton received RBI walks. Powell reached on a fielder’s choice that erased Clark at home then, with two outs, Rought walked to score Bidwell for a second time to close the gap to 6-5.
Cooper Dember stepped to the plate and cranked a fly ball to left that fell just shy of the 325-foot fence to clear the bases, scoring Stoughton, Powell and Rought to make it 8-6 in favor of the home team.
Groton loaded the bases in the fourth on an error and two singles, but a pop out, strikeout and a line drive out thwarted the effort.
Ross walked and moved to third but was left stranded.
The Red Hawks put two on in the fifth via a hit batter and a walk with one down, but the next two batters grounded out.
The Tigers went back to work in their next at-bats. Powell singled and Rought followed an out with a base on balls, then Paugh followed an out with a single. Ross would reach safely on a dropped third strike, which was a passed ball that allowed Powell and Rought to race home and make it a 10-6 game.
Groton wrapped a single and RBI double around a pair of strikeouts to make it 10-7 heading into the bottom of the sixth.
Stoughton and Rought wrapped walks around a pair of outs. With the duo in scoring position, a passed ball brought them home to make it 12-7.
The Red Hawks would plate one more run with a double and single in their final at-bats, but after a strikeout and a walk, the game ended on a pair of infield pop ups.
Dember had two hits and three RBI and Paugh added two hits and a run. Rought walked five times, scoring three runs while picking up two RBI. Powell and Ross had a hit and two runs apiece while Bidwell and Stoughton added two runs and one RBI each. Paugh added two hits and a run, and Lounsbury added a hit.
Clark struck out six while allowing six hits and three walks over 4 ⅓ innings. Jacob Guiles pitched one inning with one strikeout and one walk. Dember, the starter, gave up two hits and struck out three. He walked seven batters, but only one of the six runs against him was earned.
Tioga improved to 2-3 with the win.
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PHOTOS BY TIM TAYLOR.
