Tupelo completes seventh-inning comeback over Oxford
May 8—TUPELO — Tanner Goggans wanted to see a strike to try and win the game with his bat, and it was his eyes that helped Tupelo complete the sweep of rival Oxford on Friday night.
The senior nine-hole hitter took a bases-loaded walk to give the No. 1-ranked Golden Wave a 3-2 come-from-behind win to finish off the Class 6A second-round playoff matchup.
"It feels great. It's a big rivalry between us two, so anytime we beat them it's really, really fun," Goggans said following the chaotic seventh inning.
Tupelo (25-7) was on the ropes against No. 2 Oxford, as starter Hays Roth held the Wave's bats in check all night. The Chargers (24-6) led 2-1 entering the bottom of the seventh with Roth dealing, allowing just two hits until that point.
The bottom of the seventh started with an error and went downhill from there. A walk, followed by a miscommunication on a bunt, loaded the bases with no outs. A catcher's interference call on the first pitch to Kylan Washington tied the game at 2-2, setting up the five-pitch walk to Goggans for the win.
"The whole series was about execution, especially tonight, that seventh inning. Anything that could go wrong, went wrong," said Oxford head coach Chris Baughman.
Dueling with Roth, Tupelo starter Mason Morris competed with sharp stuff despite scattering eight hits. Morris saw Oxford (24-6) build a 2-0 lead with an RBI groundout from Ben Goubeaux in the first and an RBI walk from Lock Elliott in the third.
Morris settled in to toss up four-consecutive zeros, finishing with eight strikeouts, and he added an RBI single in the fourth to keep his team within striking distance.
Roth pitched seven innings, allowing three hits, one earned run, four walks and eight strikeouts. He led Oxford at the plate, going 4 for 4 with a double.
Tupelo advanced to the third round, where it will face fellow Division 1-6A member DeSoto Central.
Extra Bases
Big Inning: Roth led off the top of the seventh with a double, but a double play and a strikeout sent Tupelo into the bottom half of the inning with all the momentum.
Big Stat: Three of Oxford's six losses this season came to Tupelo.
Coach Speak: "The atmosphere was unbelievable. Most high school players don't get to play in front of what these guys got to play in front of." — Tupelo coach Justin Reed
