Choctaws survive scare from Cavaliers in district opener

After heavy thunderstorms washed out all the baseball action on Friday, the No. 1 seed Dyer County and the No. 5 seed Crockett County finally met Saturday night in a 10-inning thriller at Dyersburg High School. Dyer County won the ballgame on a two- out, three-run walk off blast from senior B.A. Davis in the bottom of the 10th inning to dead center, giving the Choctaws a 6-5 victory.

"What more can you say about B.A. Davis -- that's senior leadership at its best," said Dyer County head coach Preston Ozment.

Crockett advanced to meet the Choctaws after defeating Martin Westview in the opening round on Thursday.

Derek Sims took the mound for the Choctaws on Saturday, and was locked in a pitching duel with Cavalier Lance Chandler for the majority of the afternoon.

In the top half of the first inning, Sims gave up a leadoff hit to Crockett County, but battled back and recorded three straight pop outs to get out of the inning unharmed.

In the bottom half of the first the Choctaws got their first swings of the tournament, but started the frame with a leadoff man Chad Gammons walk.

Shortstop Shea Thomas delivered Dyer County's first hit of the tournament in the first, but the Choctaws were unable to cash in on their two base runners and turned things over to the Cavaliers in the second. Crockett County made another threat in the second frame with two back--to-back singles after a leadoff groundout.

Dyer County got out of the inning with a double play with a very nice turn by Thomas at short. Chandler stayed out of trouble in the bottom half of the frame despite hitting Choctaw Morgan Bowser to start off the inning.

The Cavaliers went quietly in the top half of the of the third inning, and the Choctaws put the first run on the board in the bottom half of the frame with a RBI-single by Jordan Patterson, giving Dyer County a 1-0 lead after three in the books.

In the top half of the fourth, Sims allowed two base runners, but fought back and got out of the inning with no damage done, while recording two of his three strikeouts in the frame.

The Choctaws added two more runs in the bottom of the fourth inning off a RBI groundout by Tyler Roberson and a RBI-single by Dylan Haycraft, stretching the Dyer County lead to 3-0 after four complete innings.

Sims cruised threw the fifth inning with no trouble, but the Choctaws couldn't add to their lead in the bottom of the inning, despite a leadoff single by Kody Starks.

In the sixth inning the Cavaliers finally got on the board with two back-to-back doubles in the inning, while tying the game at 3-3, and ending the day for Sims.

Gammons came into the ballgame in relief of Sims and struck out the first two batters he faced to get out of the inning tied.

In the seventh the Cavaliers turned to hard throwing Russ English to deal with the Choctaws bats. Dyer County went down in order in the frame, but Gammons pitched great on the mound, striking out eight Cavaliers in just three and two-thirds innings of work.

With the Choctaws bats not hot like normally, Gammons kept Crockett County at bay until the top of the 10th inning when Cavalier Travis Mosier connected on a two-run bomb to left center field, giving Crockett County a 5-3 lead going into the bottom of the tenth.

Patterson led off the frame for the Choctaws and reached base after being hit by an English pitch. After a Bowser pop out, Sims reached base on a walk, giving the Choctaws two runners on with one out. Starks stepped to the plate next and flew out to right field, giving the Choctaws one out to pull off an amazing comeback.

That's exactly what happed when Davis stepped up and drilled the walk-off bomb, sending the Choctaws to the next round against Dyersburg on Monday.

"I really don't think I will have to get our kids fired up for Monday's game against Dyersburg," added Ozment. "They are going to be ready, but so will we."