The season came to an end for the Marshals on Tuesday night after a long hard-fought battle with Paducah Tilghman in the Region 1 semi-final.
“We told these guys, you have nothing to hang your head about”, Head Coach Tyler O’Daniel said to WCBL’s Aaron Clayton. “It was a grind from the beginning. They answered the call, they got stronger as a team, they got stronger as individuals and that’s all you can ask.”
Both teams finished with eight hits in the back-and-forth battle that ended in a 5-4 win for Paducah Tilghman who will advance to play McCracken County in the Region 1 Championship. The Mustangs beat Hickman County 10-0 in five innings and will looking for their 10th straight title.
The Marshals struck first with a two-run bottom of the second. Preston Holman and Jace Driver drew walks off of pitcher Dain Lynn and a single hit by Maddox Cope drove in the first run. Clayton Wyatt hit a single to drive in the second for the early 2-0 lead.
Paducah Tilghman answered with three runs in the top of the third. Hank James, who led off with a single, scored on a wild pitch and two runs crossed the plate off a single hit by Braden Douglas.
The Marshals took the lead back at 4-3 in the bottom of the fifth. Kannon Dunn led off with a single, Gavin Clark walked and with two outs and Preston Holman knocked one to the center field fence for a double that scored the two base runners.
The Blue Tornado again answered the call, taking the lead back at 5-4 in the top of the sixth. With the bases loaded on a single and two batters taking a hit by pitches, Trevor Hertter brought in the two runs.
In their final time at the plate, the Marshals got to work and loaded up the bases on an error on a ground ball hit by Dunn and singles by Clark and Reese Oakley. With two outs on the board, in a controversial ending to the game, a checked swing by Riley Henson was deemed a strike and the game was over.
Reese Oakley pitched the first five and a third innings. The Murray State bound ace gave up seven hits, five runs, one walk and struck out nine. Jace Driver, in relief, allowed one hit, gave up a walk and struck out three.
“What a great group of guys this has been”, O’Daniel said. “I told them it’s been an absolute honor to coach these guys and be a part of their development and see them grow as young men and as young players. At the end of the day, every one of these guys, every one of these seniors is going to be successful in whatever they do.”
Eight seniors played their final game for the Marshals – Gavin, Clark, Jace Driver, Riley Henson, Preston Holman, Reese Oakley, Hunter Reavis, Chase Shelton and Ty Swoope.
“I think at the end of the day, as long as they leave a better person and a better player than they were when they got here, then we did our job”, O’Daniel said. “I am confident that these guys that are leaving our program have had a lasting impact and I’m so thankful to have the opportunity to coach them.”
Paducah Tilghman will attempt to knock off the 10-time Region 1 champion Mustangs in Wednesday’s title game at McCracken County. The Blue Tornado beat the Mustangs 10-6 in the 2nd District championship. It was their first win over McCracken County since April 22, 2014.
Paducah 0 0 3 0 0 2 0 | 5 8 1
Marshall 0 2 0 0 2 0 0 | 4 8 2
Marshall (18-18): Wyatt 1/3 (RBI), Dunn 1/3, Staples 1/4, Clark 1/2, Oakley 1/4, Holman 1/2 (2B, 2 RBI), Driver 1/2, Cope 1/3 (RBI)
Paducah (25-13): Hertter 1/3 (2 RBI), Mira 1/3, Massey 1/3, Douglas 1/3 (2 RBI), Crowe 1/4, Hamilton 2/4, James 1/3
Marshall: Oakley 5.1 (7 H, 5 R, 1 BB 9 SO), Driver 1.2 (1 H, 1 BB, 3 SO)
Paducah: Lynn 2.0 (3 H, 2 R, 3 BB), Hinz 4.0 (3 H, 2 R 1 BB, 2 SO), Mira 1.0 (2 H, 3 SO)
