The Tigers prevailed despite collecting just two hits off three Braves pitchers. The winning run scored on a throwing error.

The Tigers drew first blood in the third inning with a three-run stanza. Jacob Finke opened the frame with a single to left, stole second, moved to third on a Brady Clark single and came home on a wild pitch. After a Matthew Pauley walk Clark scored on a balk. Pauley scored the inning’s final run on an RBI single by Riley Noe.

The Braves answered with four runs in the top of the fourth, loading the bases on a hit batter, a walk and an error. Marc O’Connell was forced home with the first Braves run of the evening when Spencer Foreman became the second hit batter of the inning. Cody Foreman delivered two runs with a two out single, moved to second on a play at the plate and was thrown out trying to reach third.

Alex Barnum scored an insurance run for the Braves in the top of the fifth, racing home on a wild pitch and setting the stage for the Tigers comeback.

Back to back walks to Finke and Clark were followed by a wild pitch and a balk that plated Finke and moved Clark to third. An Aaron Smith single to left center brought home Clark with the tying run. Pauley, who walked earlier in the inning, scored the winning run on a throwing error when Gabe Sherman grounded to short.

Chase Collins was the beneficiary of the fifth inning uprising, pitching one inning to claim the win. Cody Foreman led the Braves offensive attack with a hit and two RBIs in two at-bats. Finke and Clark were both 1-1 for the victors and scored two runs each.

In Other Action

Brandon Clark pitched seven innings of four-hit baseball to lead the Pirates to a 4-2 win over the Reds. Sam Seger’s two hits and Mitchell Tompkins’ two RBIs fueled the offense.

The St. Matthews Baseball 16U Memorial Day Weekend Tournament was won by Ryken with four wins in the double elimination tournament. The Bulldogs finished second, losing twice to Ryken.

Both teams plated three runs in the first inning and were scoreless in the second before a four run Braves uprising gave them their first lead of the game.

Bennie Ruiz opened the frame with a walk, moved to second on an errant pickoff attempt, raced to third on Reed Hutchinson’s grounder to second and scored on a wild pitch. Connor Oliver followed with a single and Joe Zeiser blasted a double to left to bring him home. Bear Brown’s single through the left side plated Zeiser and closed the scoring.

The River Cats answered in their half of the inning with two runs when a Jack Tompkins single chased home Allen Orms and Tony Mastropaolo.

The lead changed hands for the third time the following inning, courtesy of a three run River Cats uprising. Josh Wilson got things started with a walk, stole second and third and came home on a Gabe Carter single to center.

Kenny Carter singled to bring his brother home for a second time in the game. Carter stole second and third and raced home on a Mastropaolo grounder to short.

The lead was short-lived as the Braves decided the affair with a five run fifth. Zeiser picked up his second RBI when he singled through the left side to bring home Ruiz and tie the game. A misplayed grounder to third allowed Hutchinson to score the go ahead run one batter later.

The Braves added insurance runs when the inning’s second error allowed Alex Barnum to reach and sent home Jack Farmer and Brown. Spencer Foreman’s single to left scored Clayton Krampe with the game’s final run.

Brown got the win despite giving up three runs in the fourth and Zeiser pitching a scoreless fifth to close the game. Kenny Carter suffered his first loss of the year. Zeiser paced the Braves offense, going 2-2 and scoring two runs to add to his RBIs. Mastropaolo’s 2-3 day, with two RBIs and two runs scored led the River Cats offensive.

The Babe Ruth season, for 13-15 year olds, continues through July 3 with five teams vying for this year’s championship.

Ramser threw 3 2/3 innings of no-hit baseball, then got the game’s key hit in the fourth inning to break open a tight game.

Ramser started for the Orioles and struck out eight before reaching his pitch limit and leaving the mound with a 3-2 lead. His double in the fourth inning brought home two of the five runs in the game’s decisive inning.

Max Rumpke was hit by a pitch to open the Orioles fourth, moved to second on a wild pitch and to third on a passed ball before scoring on another wild pitch. Liam Boddee walked and advanced to second when Daniel Livesay was hit by a pitch. Jack Dwyer reached on an error to load the bases.

Ramser then lifted a fly ball between the infield and left fielder, plating Boddee and Livesay and sending Dwyer to third. Dwyer scored on a wild pitch and Ramser came home on Matthew McDowell’s groundout to second to close the scoring.

Willem Behnke and Rumpke singled in a two run second for the Orioles. The Tigers scored their first run in the second when Zach Carroll walked and later scored on a wild pitch.

The Tigers cut the lead to one in the fourth when Jack Furlong doubled, moved to third on an error by the left fielder and scored on a wild pitch, setting the stage for the Orioles’ decisive fourth inning. The Tigers rallied in the bottom of the fifth when Nicholas Anzalone and Reese Smock scored on Matthew Minton’s two out single but the rally fell short.

In Majors Division action two hit games by Travis Seibert and Hunter David and Reed Knabel’s two RBIs paced the Dodgers offense as they held on for a 6-5 win over the Orioles.

Seibert struck out three in a distance going performance on the mound. Sam Snawder drove in three runs for the Orioles and joined teammates Michael Netherton, Nathan Fieldhouse, Jack Daly, Logan Wourms and Grider Campbell with hits.

In a battle for the top spot in the league the Reds plated seven runs in the final inning to wipe out a five run deficit and grab a 10-8 win.

The Twins scored four runs in the first two innings without the benefit of a base hit. In the first Sam Weining drew a one out walk, stole second and scored when Chuck Moore reached on a throwing error. Moore then scored on two wild pitches. The Twins tallied two unearned runs in the second when Randy Waddell and Chris Carli came home on a throwing error on a ball off the bat of Shawn DeWeese.

The Twins added three more runs in the third. Sam Weining got the Twin’s first hit and scored on a double by Moore, who came home on a one out single to center by Richard Bascom and an error. Alex Bascom’s single plated his twin brother to close out the scoring.

Trailing 7-1 the Reds began their comeback in the fourth inning. Asher Hinshaw opened the frame with an infield hit, stole second, moved to third on a groundout by Joe Schmidt and scored on a wild pitch. The Reds chipped another run off the lead when Logan Nichols singled to center to plate Jack Varga.

But the Reds saved the best for last, sending 11 batters to the plate and scoring seven runs on five of their 12 hits for the game. Robert Thomas opened the inning with a single, stole second and scored on a Jackson Diaz double to left. Diaz scored on a wild pitch and Christopher Stockdale singled in Alex Brockman to cut the lead to two.

The Reds tied the game when Stockdale raced home on an error that put Hinshaw on first. Hinshaw gave the Reds the lead when he scored on a Varga squeeze bunt. Two insurance runs scored when Schmidt scored on a Zac Martin single to left. Martin stole second and third and came home on an errant throw from the catcher.

In the bottom of the inning the Twins added a run on back to back singles by Adam Weining and Richard Bascom before winning pitcher Stockdale slammed the door to keep the Reds in first place. Nine of the 10 Reds players had a hit. Richard Bascom paced the Twins offense, going 2-2 with two RBIs.

The win was the second Reds victory over the Twins this season. On April 17 the Reds rode a no-hit pitching performance by Harrison Hobbs to a 4-2 win.

In other games…

The Dodgers rallied from a 5-0 third inning deficit, scoring five sixth-inning runs, to topple the Rays, 8-5. Travis Seibert went 2-3 and drove in four runs while pitching two innings of shutout baseball to close the game and earn the win.

The Twins got a no-hitter from Moore in a 10-0 win over the Rangers. Moore allowed just three walks and one batter reached on an error, striking out the side in the final inning.

Last Saturday more than 110 units braved damp, chilly, weather in the traditional procession down Shelbyville Rd. to St. Matthews Community Center Park. Due to wet fields, some with standing water, Saturday’s slate of games were postponed, most of them to Sunday.

St. Matthews baseball and softball coaches and players ages four to 12 helped decorate parade vehicles, then piled into everything from fire trucks to pickups to antique cars for the trek to the ballpark from St. Matthews Baptist Church on Grandview, waving to parents who lined the parade route.

Games began the previous Monday and the Cal Ripken Majors Division (11-12 year olds) got the season off to a promising start with a number of highlights in week one.

The season’s first no hitter came Tuesday evening as Harrison Hobbs handcuffed the Twins to pace the Reds to a 4-2 win. Hobbs struck out 11 in five innings and allowed just one earned run. Robert Thomas backed him with his bat, driving in two runs with a double and a single and scoring a third after stealing third and racing home when the catcher overthrew third base.

Adam Weining scored both Twins runs, reaching on an error in the first inning and racing home on a wild pitch and scoring on a sacrifice fly by twin brother Sam after reaching on a fielder’s choice.

The next game saw the offenses take over as the Orioles pounded out eight hits in an 11-2 win over the Rangers. The contest featured back to back home runs by James Crockett and Ty Bentley as Crockett enjoyed a 3-3 night.

The Rays and Reds both posted perfect 3-0 marks to open the season. The Rays’ beat the Dodgers in the season’s first game, 12-4, the won in walk-off fashion over the Red Sox, 11-10, as Taylor Mueller singled to plate Aaron Victor. Dylan Wilson had a triple and a double in the losing effort.

After two seasons with little power production Majors players launched four home runs in the opening week of play. Travis Seibert joined Crockett and Bentley in the home run parade with two round trippers as his Dodgers downed the Tigers, 9-8.

This year is the second year of St. Matthews Baseball and Softball’s affiliation with Cal Ripken baseball for leagues with players 12 years of age and younger. Softball and baseball for ages 13-15 remain affiliated with Babe Ruth. Cal Ripken is a subdivision of Babe Ruth Baseball.