The Saltillo Tigers will take on the Pontotoc Warriors at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The timing is sure in Saltillo's favor as the team sits on five straight wins at home (dating back to last season) while Pontotoc has been banged up by three consecutive losses on the road.
For whatever reason, it's the away team that's had the advantage when Saltillo and North Pontotoc meet (five straight games heading into this one) and that held true again on Saturday. The Tigers beat the Vikings by the very same score they won with in their prior game: 13-1. Considering the Tigers have won seven games by more than six runs this season, Saturday's blowout was nothing new.
LUKE REYNOLDS was a standout: he went 2-for-3 with three RBI, two runs, and two doubles. Another player making a difference was TUCKER PHILLIPS, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with three runs, one double, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Pontotoc didn't have quite enough to beat Center Hill on Saturday and fell 10-8.
Cayson Witcher and Miller Finn did some serious damage despite the final result: Witcher went 3-for-4 with two stolen bases, three runs, and one RBI, while Finn went 1-for-3 with one home run, three RBI, and one stolen base. That RBI was Witcher's first of the season. The team also got some help courtesy of Corbyn Clayton, who went 2-for-5 with two runs and one double.
Pontotoc's loss dropped their record down to 3-5. As for Saltillo, their win bumped their record up to 10-1.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Saltillo has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Pontotoc struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 8.6 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Saltillo came out on top in a nail-biter against Pontotoc when the teams last played back in March of 2016, sneaking past 3-2. Do the Tigers have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Warriors turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
