OCC defeats Armorel

ARMOREL -- Tuesday afternoon's matchup between the Armorel Tigers and Obion County Central, Tenn. Rebels was a game a stark contrasts.

With a student population of about 1,100 in just the 9th through 12th grades, OCC dwarfs the smaller Armorel who has under 500 students in Kindergarten through 12th grades.

With nearly 20 years of high school baseball coaching experience, Armorel head coach Charlie Brown has been coaching the Tigers almost as long as first year OCC head coach and Blytheville High School graduate Chris Smith has been alive.

"He's (Smith) doing a great job with those kids over there," said Brown. "That's definitely one of the better teams we'll see all year."

"One thing about coach Brown is that he's not afraid to play anybody," said Smith, a former two-time all-stater at Blytheville.

Smith's Rebels got the best of Brown's Tigers (4-5) Tuesday with a 15-6 win at Armorel in the first of two games that the teams will play this season.

OCC (2-3) took advantage of 13 Tiger errors while collecting just seven hits to compile their 15 runs. Starting pitcher Brady York scattered just three hits, allowed three runs and struck out eight batters over four innings pitched to pick up the victory for OCC .

Armorel had their chances but left 12 men on base over the game including leaving the bases loaded three times including the bottom of the seventh inning.

"We finaly got some timely hits," said Smith. "We were getting our hits with runners on. We were able to put the ball in play and get the runners home today."

OCC picked up six runs in the top of the first on just three hits.

Dustin Smith's one out double down the left field line got the Rebels going as they built the early lead.

Tyler Byrd (2-3, home run, 2 RBIs and a 2 runs scored) got the Tigers on the board in the bottom of the first with a two run blast over the left field wall to cut the lead to 6-2 at the end of one.

OCC scored five runs over the next three innings on four hits and then put four runs over the fifth, sixth and seventh innings on a single hit.

"We can't win games when we're kicking the ball all over creation," said Brown.

The Tigers played their fourth game in as many days losing three of those four.

"We've had a long stretch of games and what we really should be doing is practicing," said Brown.

Armorel got a run back in the third thanks to a bases loaded walk to Jonathan Porter scoring Justin Guilliams.

The Tigers' best chance came in the last two innings off of Rebel relief pitcher Mitch Arnett.

Armorel scored two runs on back-to-back doubles from Jason Lawrence and Tyler Wagganer to cut the Rebel lead to 14-5 and extend the game to a seventh inning.

Armorel got one more in the bottom of the seventh. Armorel's Taylor Hopper's (2-4, RBI and a run scored grounder to third scored Bradley Eubanks but that was all they would score.

"They (Armorel) play the toughest competition they can play," said Smith. "That's going to help them in the long run. I really believe that... They're not intimidated by anybody. I really respect that about them."

The competition continues for for the Tigers this afternoon with a 1 p.m. game against 3A Rivercrest at Armorel.

After today, Armorel will have a few days off before heading to Batesville for a tournament beginning on Saturday.

Armorel first baseman Jason Lawrence makes the catch against Obion County Central, Tenn. Tuesday afternoon.

afitzpatrick@blythevillecourier.com