If there’s one thing a ballplayer hates, it’s scraping by on a narrow margin. The Douglas Tigers must have had that thought in mind when they took the field against Fernley on Thursday, leaving no doubt as they ran roughshod over the Vaqueros in a blistering 12-2 victory.
The Tigers’ bats, which had been relatively tame in their previous outing, erupted in this contest, pounding out runs with a vengeance. Titus Gocke manned the mound with the confidence of a seasoned gambler holding a full house, striking out seven over five innings while allowing no earned runs.
Meanwhile, Colt Cummins made himself right at home on the basepaths, reaching safely in four of his five plate appearances, belting a triple, knocking in a run, and scoring twice—the most runs posted since last April. Not to be outdone, Jared Peters kept pace, crossing home plate twice and reaching base in four of his five trips.
With this triumph, Douglas extends their record to 2-0, while Fernley, now stuck in the mud of a three-game losing streak and sitting at 1-4-1. The Vaqueros, desperate to turn their fortunes, will need to tighten their defense, as they’ve been giving up an average of 8.7 runs per game—hardly the kind of generosity that wins championships.
Next up, Douglas looks to keep the good times rolling against McQueen at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. Fernley, meanwhile, has a date with Wooster at 10:00 a.m., where both teams will be searching for redemption.
The Wooster Colts, who are none too pleased after being trampled 12-2 by Damonte Ranch in their season opener, now saddle up for a road showdown against Fernley. History is not on their side, as the Mustangs have run them down in their last eight meetings.
Still, Wooster showed some life at the plate, with four players notching hits. Chris Ballard and Malik Vaden made their presence known, each scoring a run, with Vaden flashing some speed by swiping two bases.
Still licking its wounds from its latest thrashing, Fernley needs some fight to break free from their slump. The last time they locked horns with Wooster, the Vaqueros came up short in a 4-3 heartbreaker.
With this latest tilt set on their home turf, Fernley will be banking on a little home-field magic to right the ship.
The Old Blog in the Desert 
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