Deffenbaugh Sparkles As
Tigers Win Pair Over Raiders
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by Dwight Turner Senior Charlie Deffenbaugh played long ball last Friday to lead the Ardmore High School Varsity Baseball Team to two impressive wins over the visiting Richland Raiders. Deffenbaugh blasted two |
 Ardmore's Charlie Deffenbaugh hammers his second homerun of the game during the Tigers' win over Richland last Friday. (photo by Joe Stagner) |
homers and drove in four runs to ignite the Ardmore offense in a 5-3 win over the Raiders. The Tigers then survived a late Raider rally to notch a 6-5 victory in the nightcap.
Ardmore 5
Richland 3
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Richland pushed across a run in the top of the first inning to take an early 1-0 lead in Game One. The Raiders' lead, however, was short-lived. Zane Hambay led off the bottom of the first with a single and later scored when Deffenbaugh launced a ball over the fence to put the Tigers up 2-1. Matthew Smith and Will Lewis also singled for the Tigers in the first stanza, but were stranded on base. Richland tied the game by scratching out another run off Ardmore starter Landon Taylor in the top of the third. Atchley walked in the bottom of the third, bring the lefty-swinging Deffenbaugh back to the plate. The senior slugger came through again, nailing his second dinger of the game and putting the Tigers up by a score of 4-2. |
 Ardmore shortstop Will Lewis avoids the slide of a Raider base runner as he prepares to relay the ball to first on a double play attempt during the Tigers' win over Richland last Friday. (photo by Joe Stagner) |
Richland scored again in the top of the fourth to pull to within a run, 4-3, but the Tigers added an insurance run in the bottom of the fourth to seal the win. Jake Marlow singled to lead off the inning and later scored on a double by Taylor.
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Taylor pitched the first five innings to get the win for the Tigers, while senior hurler Bryan McClendon came on in relief to notch the save. Ardmore 6 Richland 5 Ardmore exploded for three runs in the bottom of the first inning in Game Two. After Landon Taylor and Will Lewis walked, Eric Atchley was hit by a pitch to load the bases. The Richland catcher tried to pick Taylor off third, but instead, threw the ball into left field, |
 Ardmore first baseman Kyle Smith (20) takes a throw for an out from second baseman Zane Hambay as center fielder Charlie Deffenbaugh, left, looks on during the Tigers' win over Richland last Friday. (photo by Joe Stagner) |
allowing two runners to cross the plate. Atchley later scored on a fielder's choice. Ardmore took an early 3-0 lead and, despite a strong rally by Richland in the late innings, it was a lead the Tigers would never relinquish.
Ardmore picked up three more runs in the second inning to go up 6-0. Kyle Smith and Landon Taylor singled and Lewis reached base on an error. Deffenbaugh, hero of Game One, continued his hot hitting by belting a double.
Tiger ace Clay Wales pitched the first four innings, holding Richland scoreless. Josh Marlow came on and pitched well in the fifth, but ran into early trouble in the top of the sixth. Marlow was relieved by Bryan McClendon.
Richland put a scare into the Tigers by plating five runs in the sixth to pull to within one run at 6-5. That was the end of the Raiders' scoring for the evening.
Wales picked up the win for the Tigers.
Richland 3
1 0 1 1 0 0 0 3 5 0
Ardmore 5
2 0 2 1 0 0 x 5 7 2
WP _ Taylor; LP _ Pierce
Homeruns _ Ardmore, Deffenbaugh (2);
Richland, none.
Richland 5
0 0 0 0 0 5 0 5 7 2
Ardmore 6
3 3 0 0 0 0 x 6 5 0
WP _ Wales; LP _ Hopkins
Homeruns _ None
