Tupelo rallies past No. 4 Asher
May 7—OKLAHOMA CITY — The Tupelo Tigers used a two-out rally to score three runs in the top of the sixth inning and turned back local rival Asher 5-3 in the first round of the Class B State Tournament Thursday afternoon at Dolese Park in Oklahoma City.
The fifth-ranked Tigers improved to 21-5 this spring and set up a semifinal showdown with top-ranked Roff at 11 a.m. today back at Palmer Field, while No. 4 Asher ended the season at 22-8.
Asher held Tupelo scoreless for four straight innings while clinging to a 3-2 lead before the Tigers came up with four hits in the top of the sixth inning sandwiched around an intentional walk to Ty Bourland.
The Tigers stranded seven base runners during their cold stretch.
"We had so many base runners stranded early. I kept thinking we'd come up with a big hit but never did," Weller told The Ada News following the game. " We've been a late-inning team. When it stayed 3-2, I felt like we were in a good position. We've been in that spot a lot this year."
Hunter Davidson started the THS uprising with a base hit and Cody Airington followed with a single of his own to put runners at first and second. Bentley Bills followed with an RBI single that knotted the score at 3-3.
Asher head coach Scott Hamilton then opted to roll the dice and intentionally walk Bourland to load the bases. But Harley Davidson made the Indians pay with a two-RBI single that broke the tie and put Tupelo on top 5-3.
"Harley had kind of been struggling a little bit. He needed that," Weller said.
Weller then sent Cody Airington to the mound to close the game and he did just that by striking out four of the final six Asher hitters to earn a state tournament save.
Bentley Bills earned the mound win. He recorded six strikeouts, walked two and gave up two earned runs in five innings.
"Our pitching was good enough to win. Cody came in and really closed it out," Weller said.
Mike McDonald absorbed the hard-luck loss for Asher. He struck out four, walked four and gave up five earned runs in six innings.
Airington and Bentley Bills paced a nine-hit Tupelo offense. Airington finished 2-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored, while Bills went 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored.
The Indians finished with five hits from five different players. Trent Smith doubled and scored Asher's first run in the bottom of the first off an RBI two-bagger by Tahlan Hamilton. He later scored the second run for Asher on a fielder's choice.
Tupelo started the scoring in the top of the first when Airington led off with his double and scored on Asher's only error of the game. Bentley Bills was hit by a pitch, stole second and raced home on an RBI single by Peyton Bills that made it 2-0.
Asher grabbed its 3-2 lead when Dayton Fowler was safe on an infield single and later scored on a Tupelo miscue.
Now the Tigers can focus on another all-local matchup, this time with No. 1 Roff.
"We want to see them again. We know they're the best team in Class B and maybe Class A and 2A. But we want that challenge. Asher has a good ballclub but that was step one," Weller said. "Now we have to try and figure out a way to beat the team on top."
