Ninth inning rally lifts Tigers to first region win

It took nine innings Tuesday night, but the Adairsville Tigers escaped with an 8-4 Region 6-AAA win at Ridgeland.

Adairsville put three hits together with three walks and a hit batsman to score four times in the top of the ninth then Tigers’ pitcher Grayson Belcher closed out the bottom of the inning to collect the pitching win.

Belcher (4.2 IP, 1ER, 1H, 3BB, 8K) entered in the fifth inning and worked the rest of the way. Jack Whitley (4.1 IP, 3R, 0ER, 5H, 2BB, 5K) made the start on the mound for Adairsville.

Jarrett Scott had two doubles and three RBIs for the Tigers. Landon O’Neal (two RBIs) and Chris Roper also had two hits. Tyler Driggers hit a two-run home run in the third inning that gave Adairsville a 3-2 lead at the time. Jack Nelson, Peyton Bowen, and Easton Elrod added one hit apiece. Dawson Craig contributed a sacrifice hit and one RBI.

Ridgeland (2-6, 0-1) and Adairsville (7-6, 1-0) play Game 2 of their home-and-home series Thursday night at 5:55 p.m.