Tigers fall in home opener

The Adairsville Tigers dropped their season opener to visiting Model Thursday night, 12-11. Model scored five times in the top of the first and led 6-2 after two innings before Adairsville tied the game in the bottom of the third, 6-6. The Tigers scored a single run in the bottom of the fourth to take a 7-6 advantage, but Model responded with four runs over the next two frames to go back ahead, 10-7. A four-run bottom of the sixth gave Adairsville an 11-10 lead, but Model went ahead again in the top of the seventh and held off the Tigers in the bottom of the frame.

Adairsville out-hit Model 11-8 and the two teams combined to commit a dozen errors. The Tigers had seven defensive miscues.

Daulton Waddell (3 IP, 5R, 3ER, 4H, 2BB, 6K) was credited with the Blue Devils’ pitching win in relief of starter Connor Yarbrough (3 IP, 6R, 1ER, 6H, 2BB, 3K). Rett Edwards (1 IP, 0ER, 1H, 1K) earned a save with a shutout bottom of the seventh inning. Chase Horn (0.2 IP, 2K) was tagged with the loss for the Tigers in relief of Elijah Padgett (1 IP, 5R, 2ER, 3H, 1K), Noah Nation (3 IP, 2R, 1ER, 1H, 3BB, 1K), and Levi Blackwell (2.2 IP, 5R, 1ER, 4H, 2BB, 2K).

Brody Pace and Dawson Whitefield paced the Model offense with two hits each. Waddell drove in a pair of runs. Trace Still finished with four hits, including two doubles and two RBI for the Tigers. Elijah Padgett added two hits and two RBI. B.J. Roper (double, RBI), Horn, Landon Ayers (RBI), Blackwell (RBI), and Wade Conduff (2 RBI) contributed one hit each.

Adairsville (0-1) is scheduled to host Armuchee Monday at 5:30 p.m. and travel to Model Wednesday for a 5:30 p.m. first pitch.