Tigers Are 4-3 In last Seven Ball Games

ipton freshman outfielder Kael Jauron makes a catch on a fly ball in foul territory during the Tigers home game against Monticello last Thursday. Tipton is 4-3 in their last 7 game. Jauron is batting .273 and had 4 RBI’s last week. Photo by Allen Hermsen. 

By Ryan Stonebraker
Sports Editor, Tipton Conservative

TIPTON — The Tipton Tigers started the 2017 season with five straight losses, but they have steadied the ship in their last seven ball games.  There, the Tigers have won four of their last seven games dating back to a June 1, 10-1 road win at Bellevue.  After that, the Tigers split two home tournament games with North Cedar and Anamosa on June 3 before picking up RVC wins at Mid-Prairie and Camanche last week.

Tigers Split Two Games At Mid-Prairie

WELLMAN — The Tipton baseball team started a four-game week at Mid-Prairie where they split two RVC South games.  The Tigers won game one, 11-7 and fell in game two, 13-8.  The win was the first RVC South victory this year.  The wins improved Tipton’s record to 1-5 in RVC South games.

In game one, Tipton won 11-7, scoring their most runs in a ball game to date.  THe Tigers led 7-0 after three innings and had to score four runs in the top of the sixth to break a 7-7 tie.

Tipton nearly batted around in their batting order in the top of the second, scoring four runs on two hits.  The Tigers send seven batters to the plate in the top of the third and scored three runs.  Mid-Prairie dented the scoreboard with three runs in the fourth to set the score at 7-3.  The Golden Hawks tied the game at 7 with a four-run fifth.

The score stayed the same until the top of the sixth when Tipton batted around and scored four runs to take an 11-7 lead.  Dylan Mente was hit by a pitch with one out and went to second on a Quinten Mesick single.  Luke Becker was hit by a pitch to load the bases.  The next two Tigers - Luke Becker and Daulton Mente reached base and runs scored.

Bryce Deerberg was the winning pitcher after working a scoreless sixth inning.  Colby Kleppe pitched a scoreless seventh.  Logan Hoffman started and pitched five innings with three strikeouts.

Tipton had 11 hits.  Mesick was 3-for-5 and Becker, Deerberg and Trent Pelzer each had two hits.  Pelzer 3 RBI’s, Deerberg had 2 RBI’s and Hoffman, Jauron and Daulton Mente each had RBI’s.

In game two, Mid-Prairie rallied from an 8-4 deficit with a nine-run sixth inning to take control of the game.  Tipton tied the game at 1-1 going to the bottom of the second, but a three-run second by Mid-Prairie gave the Golden Hawks a 4-1 lead.  Tipton rallied and scored three runs in the top of the third to tie the score at 4.  Luke Becker singled to lead off the third.  Daulton Mente singled moving Becker to second.  Kael Jauron bunted both up a base, putting two runners in scoring position with one-out.  Becker would score on an error and Mente a RBI single by Hoffman.  Hoffman later scored on a Trent Pelzer single to tie the game.

The 4-4 score stood until the fifth when the Tigers scored four runs to take an 8-4 lead.  Tipton had nine hits in the game led by Hoffman who was 3-for-3 with a double, 3 RBI’s and a run scored.  Pelzer was 2-for-3 with 3 RBI’s.  Daulton Mente had a hit and RBI and Jauron had a RBI in the game.

Daulton Mente took the loss after 5 1/3 innings.  He gave up nine runs on eight hits.  He struck out two and walked four.  Bryce Deerberg pitched in relief.

Deerberg’s RBI Single in 7th is Game Winner At Camanche

CAMANCHE — Tipton junior Bryce Deerberg was one of two Tigers with two hits each in Tipton’s game at Camanche last Thursday.  His second one in the seventh inning drove in the winning run on a single in the Tigers 7-6 win over the Indians.  The win was the Tigers fourth and third in four games.  

Tipton sent eight batters to the plate in the first inning and scored three runs.  Dylan Mente doubled, stole third and scored two batters later.  Daulton Mente singled and advanced to third on two wild pitches.  Kael Jauron singled and moved to third on a Logan Hoffman RBI double.  Jauron scored on a RBI single by Bryce Deerbert for a 3-0 lead.  Camanche tallied their first run in the bottom of the second to set the score at 3-1.  Tipton pushed two runners across the plate in the top of the third inning on two RBI singles by Deerberg and Colby Kleppe to push the score to 5-1.  A Luke Becker sac bunt scored Quinten Mesick in the fourth to set the score at 6-1.  Camanche tied the score with two runs in the fourth and three runs in the fifth at 6-6.

Tipton had 10 hits in the game.  Luke Becker was 2-for-4 with a RBI.  Kael Jauron and Logan Hoffman each had hits and 1 RBI.  Jauron scored three runs and Daulton Mente two.  Mente, Colby Kleppe and Trent Pelzer each had hits in the game.

Jacob Tischuk was the winning pitcher after working 2 1/3 innings in relief of starter Luke Becker.  The sophomore duo struck out three and gave up seven hits.  Becker worked the first 4 2/3 innings.

Panthers Pounce on Tigers, 10-1 In RVC Cross-Division Loss

TIPTON — Monticello proved too much for the Tigers last Thursday in a 10-1 loss at home on the weekly River Valley Conference cross-division night.  The Tigers bats were silenced by Panther pitching with only two hits in the game.

The Tigers only run came in the bottom of the third inning to cut the Panthers lead to 2-1 after three innings.  Monticello scored two runs in each of the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh innings to set the final at 12-2.

Elliott Cummins started and worked into the fourth inning before getting knocked out of the game.  Cummins gave up four runs on seven hits and struck out one batter.  Bryce Deerberg got roughed up in 2 2/3 innings of relief, having given up six runs on seven hits.  He also struck out one batter.  Jacob Tischuk also pitched in relief.

Quinten Mesick and Deerberg had the Tigers hits in the game.  Mesick also reached base via a walk and had a stolen base.  Deerberg and Dylan Mente each had stolen bases and Colby Kleppe had the only Tipton RBI in the game.

Tipton’s record against the RVC North slipped to 2-2 after the loss.  The Tigers have beaten Bellevue and Camanche and lost to Monticello and NE Goose Lake in four cross-division games this year.