Choctaw season ends with 2-0 loss to Hardin County

For the first time since 2006 and only the second time in the past 18 seasons, Dyer County’s baseball team will not advance past the district tournamnet level of the postseason as the Choctaws were unable to string their hits together into runs as the orange and white fell to Hardin County 2-0 in the District 13AAA semifinals on Monday night in Munford.

“We scattered some hits throughout the game,” Dyer County head coach Ben Glasgow said. “We just couldn’t get any key hits. To be honest, you look back at everything total from yesterday (in the tournament) and there were three total runs scored in two games over there. There just wasn’t a lot of offense for any team over there yesterday.”

Though he took the loss on the mound, sophmore Cam Gordon pitched very well for the Choctaws, allowing just the two runs on three hits in the season-ending loss. Gordon struck out three in the loss.

“Cam Gordon had a great, great night,” Glasgow said of the sophomore pitcher. “He gave us a chance to win the game.”

Glasgow added it was a tough was to lose and end the season but said it is a sign of how competitve District 13AAA has become.

“We face teams in the postseason that have two-team (deep) districts and its not hard to get out of their districts,” the Choctaw head coach said. “And, our district is four teams deep. Our district is highly competitive and we look at it as the best AAA district on this side of the Tennessee River. It proved that this year as its a very competitive district.”

Neither team was able to get on the board until the bottom of the fourth as back-to-back singles to lead off the inning proved costly as a Hayden Blount sacrifice fly put the Tigers on top 1-0 after four innings.

Hardin County tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth as Seth Copeland led off the frame with a solo homerun to put the Tigers up 2-0 heading into the final frame.

In the top of the seventh, Gunner Carmack led off the frame with a single but the next batter grounded into a double play to clear the bases. A groundout followed to end the game and eliminate the Choctaws.

Zach Epperson and Carmack each had a pair of singles for the Choctaws as all six of Dyer County’s hits were singles in the loss.

Monday’s loss also brings the end to the high school careers of Choctaw seniors Epperson, Cayden Stafford, John Floyd and Landon Hooper.

“When I say I have a group of seniors that have great character, tough and are coachable and are good people – this is that group,” Glasgow said. “I am very impressed with the type of kids that these guys are. And, that says a lot about the type of families these guys come from and they come from fantastic families.”

For the players returning to the fold next year, the Choctaw head coach said his players need to take a step forward playing as a team and being shoulder to shoulder with each other.

“That’s a big challenge for our team going forward,” Glasgow said. “We need to play together and also find a little bit more offense. We’ve got some big returning pieces but we definitely need to focus on playing better together next year.”

The loss ends the Choctaws season with a record of 17-15.