2005 Tiger Baseball Game Summary

February 6th CSTCC at Truett McConnell JC
The Tigers traveled to Cleveland, Georgia to face Truett McConnell again. These games were hard fought games and tough wins on the road. Adam Cross started the game and threw 6 solid innings allowing 3 hits and 2 earned runs. Truett jumped off with a run in the bottom of the first inning and then the Tigers answered with 2 in the top on the 2nd inning. Bucky Strickland and Derek Welborn each had singles followed by Aaron Hookman's double to right center. Andy Simunic also chipped in a run scoring single. Truett scored 1 in the bottom of the 3rd and then the Tigers scored the game winning run in the top of the 5th behind a single by Simunic and a single by Chad Cunningham. Outstanding defensive plays were made by Cunningham, Cross and Champion.
The second game, again, started off rough for the Tigers as Chris Combs was roughed up for 5 runs in 1 2/3 innings pitched. Adam Knight came on and held Truett scoreless for 2 1/3 innings and allowed the Tigers to climb back to 5-3. AJ Renfrow scored on Adam Cross' double in the 3rd and Cross scored on a wild pitch to make the score 5-3. In the top of the seventh, with only 3 outs remaining, the Tigers' bats came alive. Consecutive base hits by Renfrow, Chad Cunningham, Cross, Strickland, and Hookman put the Tigers ahead and then Andy Simunic, Derek Welborn and Aaron Simmons chipped in hits to complete the 7 run inning. Daniel Hackett completed 3 solid innings of work with a solid 7th inning and garnered his first win of the year. This sweep left the Tigers with a 4-0 record early in the 2005 season.
Following Doubleheader win vs. Truett McConnell (2/5)


February 9th Chattanooga State vs. Tennessee Wesleyan JV
On a bleak and gray day, the Tigers took on the Bulldogs from Tennessee Wesleyan (JV) in a doubleheader. The first game started with freshman right hander, Cole McKellar, on the mound sporting a 1-0 record. McKellar allowed 1 unearned run in 5 innings and only allowed 3 hits. The Tigers broke open a scoreless game in the bottom of the 3rd scoring 3 runs. Andy Simunic and AJ Renfrow singled and then were advanced with a bunt. Adam Cross plated them with a single and then was scored on a sacrifice fly by Bucky Strickland. In the 4th, the Tigers again scored 3 with Tyler Champion, Derek Welborn, Aaron Simmons, and Andy Simunic all getting singles. Chad Cunningham drove in one run with a later single during the inning. The Tigers chipped in 3 runs over the last 2 innings with Simmons getting a RBI and then Renfrow stealing a couple of bases and scoring. The Bulldogs put on a late run and scored 3 runs but Scott Zurcher came in and finished up the game with 2 good innings. The final score was 9-3 and this put CSTCC at 5-0.
The second game wasn't nearly as kind to the Tigers. The Bulldogs jumped off to a 1-0 lead on Sophomore right hander Bryan Tapley. This unearned run put the Tigers behind and they scrambled offensively the whole game. Finally, in the bottom of the 4th inning, the Tigers scored 3 runs on hits by Cross, Strickland, Hookman and Welborn. Tapley turned the ball over to Chris Combs and he threw 2 good innings leading into the 7th. After a walk and a couple of base hits, Coach Dennis brought in freshman Adam Knight with 2 outs to get the third, but unfortunately, he gave up 2 hits and the final 2 runs. The Bulldogs held on in the bottom of the 7th and won 4-3.

February 11th Chattanooga State vs. Motlow State (non-conference)
The Tigers took on Motlow State in a non-conference game on Friday. It was Motlow's season opener. Daniel Hackett took the mound for the Tigers sporting a 1-0 record in the 2005 campaign. The scoring started early as the Tigers tallied one in the bottom of the first on a walk to Adam Cross and a wild pitch and then single by Bucky Strickland. In the 2nd inning the Tigers burst open for 6 runs on 3 Motlow errors and hits by Zane Rice and Chad Cunningham. Motlow scored 3 in the top of the 3rd and the game settled into a 7-3 contest. Jeff Stoker entered the game in the top of the 5th for Chatt State and went 3 innings allowing only 1 run. Chattanooga State tallied four more runs in the 6th to break the game open. AJ Renfrow led off with his 3rd walk of the game and then Cross and Strickland reached base on errors. Aaron Hookman had a big hit to plate a couple runs. The Tigers scored 2 more in the 7th to go up 13-4 behind hits by Aaron Simmons and Cunningham and Strickland. Adam Knight came on to close the game out with 2 innings allowing 1 run and striking out 3.

February 12th Chattanooga State at Gadsden State CC
The Tigers' headed down south to take on the Cardinals of Gadsden State CC on Saturday and Derek Brewer took the mound for the first game. Gadsden got off to a quick 1-0 start in the bottom of the first inning and it took until the 4th for the Tigers to get going. After a lead off out Bucky Strickland reached on an error and was followed by an Aaron Hookman walk and a single by Tyler Champion and a double by Derek Welborn. This plated 4 runs and put the Tigers up. the Tigers scored another in the 5th when Adam Cross singled and was plated by a single by Hookman. The Cardinals came back with a solo run in the 5th and then 2 in the 6th and 1 in the 7th. Bryan Tapley was on for the Tigers from the 6th on and struggled at times with command as he walked 7 in his 3 innings. Gadsden scored in the bottom of the 9th on a home run against Chris Combs to win the game.
The second game started off bleakly for the Tigers as Sophomore hurler, Will Spann, struggled from the get-go. He only lasted 1/3 of an inning and allowed 1 run and 1 hit but just couldn't locate at all. Freshman Paul Davis came in and got out of the first inning with little damage and then settled in nicely to throw the remaining 5 innings. The Tigers scored 3 in the top of the 2nd behind hits by Welborn, Champion and Matt Glass. The Cardinals came back in the bottom half of the inning and scored 2 more to tie the game at 3 all. The Tigers again scored a run in the top of the 3rd as Andy Simunic led off with a single and then moved around on a single by Cross and scored on a single by Strickland. Gadsden, again, answered with a run of their own to tie the game up at 4. It stayed that way until the bottom of the 6th when Gadsden scored a run on a wild pitch and held on in the top of the 7th to win 5-4. Paul Davis ended up throwing 5 2/3 innings relief and allowing 2 earned runs while striking out 5.

February 15th Chattanooga State at Gordon College
The Tigers rolled into Barnesville, Georgia and played against Gordon College. Coleman McKellar took the mound for the Tigers looking for his 3rd win of the young season. McKellar threw 5 innings and allowed 3 earned runs. Gordon scored 2 in the first and then Chatt State answered with 3 in the top of the 3rd. Aaron Simmons opened up the inning with a single and was followed by a hit by pitch and then a double by AJ Renfrow. Chad Cunningham walked and Adam Cross also doubled to complete the scoring. Gordon scored a solo run in the bottom of the 3rd to knot the score at 3. The Tigers again scored 3 more in the top of the fifth inning behind a single by Renfrow, walk to Cunningham and hits by Cross and Bucky Strickland. Gordon scored 2 more int he sixth and Adam Knight came on to get his first save of the season.
The second game was the best offensive showing to date for the Tigers as they scored 17 runs and held Gordon scoreless. The Tigers plated 1 run in the first and then 6 in the second and 5 in the third. 3 more were scored in the 4th and finally 2 in the 6th to tally 17. Big hitters were AJ Renfrow who wa 1 for 4 with 4 runs scored, Chad Cunningham 2 for 4 with 2 RBI's and 3 runs, Adam Cross who was 2 for 3 with 1 RBI and 3 runs, Bucky Strickland who was 1 for 1 with 5 RBI's, Aaron Hookman who was 2 for 3 with 2 RBI's and Steve Simmons who was 1 for 2 with 1 RBI. Adam Cross pitched 4 strong innings allowing only 1 hit and striking out 5. He was relieved by Bryan Tapley who threw 2 innings and allowed no hits and 2 K's. Scott Zurcher cleaned up the 7th with a solid inning.

February 18th Chattanooga State vs. Olney Central Community College ( Illinois )
Chattanooga State played host to the Blue Knights of Olney CC from Illinois. The Blue Knights come in being nationally ranked in the NJCAA pre-season poll. Derek Brewer took the mound for the Tigers and hung up a couple of 0's in the first two stanzas. The Knights scored 1 in the top of the 3rd and the Tigers answered with a solo run in the bottom half of the inning. Tyler Champion led off with a single and after two outs scored on an error by the Knights third baseman. The Knights scored again in the top of the 4th and the Tigers again answered with a solo run in the bottom on a two out rally of a walk, hit batter and a run scoring single by Aaron Simmons. The Knights, once again, scored a solo in the top of the 5th and the Tigers didn't answer again until the bottom of the 7th when they tallied 3 runs. After an out, Chad Cunningham legged out an infield single and then Adam Cross hit another single. After a walk, Aaron Hookman struck the big blow with a 2 run scoring double. The third run scored on an error. The Tigers put another tally up in the 8th on a double by Cunningham that followed a single by Derek Welborn to lead off the inning. Daniel Hackett had come into the game in the 5th and was dealing goose eggs on the board for 3 1/3 innings and then Adam Knight came on in the 9th to shut the door for the hard fought 6-3 win.

February 19th Chattanooga State vs. Olney Central Community College ( Illinois )
Chatt State hosted the Blue Knights for game 2 and 3 of their series and they turned out to be continuations of the first game. Game 2 started off with freshman Coleman McKellar taking the bump for the Tigers and pitching a fine game. He went 5 2/3 innings and allowed only 2 earned runs. He was followed by Scott Zurcher and Chris Combs who didn't allow any runs either. Unfortunately, the Blue Knights hurlers were even more effective allowing no runs for 7 innings work. The Tigers didn't get a hit until the 3rd inning when Matt Glass hit a solid single to left with one out but died on second base. In the 7th inning, the Tigers mounted a threat and got runners on 1st and 2nd base with one out after a Derek Welborn single and a walk to Aaron Simmons but the game and inning ended with a double play by the Knights.
Game 3 was another well-played, well-pitched game with sophomore Adam Cross taking the mound for the Tigers. He went even further going 6 1/3 innings of 3 hit ball and allowed 1 run but unearned. The Blue Knights scored in the top of the first on the only error by a Tiger all day. The Tigers were able to hold the Knights at bay the rest of the way. The Tigers scored one run in the 2nd following a lead-off double by Aaron Hookman and then a sacrifice and a fielder's choice. The Tigers scored the 2 game winners in the 4th behind a 2 out error by the Knights centerfielder and then a pair of clutch hits by Andy Simunic and Steven Simmons, Jr. Some fine defensive plays followed and a clutch save by Adam Knight sealed the game and series victory up for the Tigers. This was Knight's 3rd save of the season.

February 25th Chattanooga State vs. Cleveland State CC
The conference season opened for the Tigers with a 3 game series vs. the Cougars of Cleveland State CC. Derek Brewer took the mound for the Tigers and started off well throwing a 0 up on the board in the 1st but then the Cougars scored 7 runs over the next 4 innings. Chatt State scored 1 in the 3rd on a run scoring single by Bucky Strickland and then 5 in the 5th behind hits by Chad Cunningham, Strickland, Aaron Hookman and Matt Glass. With the score 7-6 Cougars, Cleveland State scored another run in the 7th off of Bryan Tapley. The Tigers answered with 2 more to tie the game up behind key hits by Steve Simmons, Glass and AJ Renfrow. Unfortunately, Cleveland State scored 2 in the top of the 9th and the Tigers could only muster 1 run in the bottom of the 9th even though they got 3 runners on base.

February 26th Chattanooga State vs. Cleveland State CC
Coleman McKellar took the mound for the Tigers in the first game and threw 4 1/3 innings of 2 run ball. The Tigers led for the better part of the game 3-0 and then let the lead get away as the Cougars scored 10 runs in the final 3 innings. AJ Renfrow and Andy Simunic had 2 hits a piece for the Tigers in this 10-4 loss.
The third game became a blowout as the Cougars raced out to 9 runs in the first two innings behind 8 hits and 4 walks. The Tigers tried to no avail to get back into the game by scoring 2 runs in the first and solo runs in the next 3 innings. Matt Glass and Aaron Simmons had big hits in the first and then AJ Renfrow's triple drove in a run and Aaron Simmons' double following Bucky Strickland's drove in another but the Cougars just scored too many for the Tigers and the final score was 16-5.

March 3rd Chattanooga State at Columbia State
The Tigers rolled into Columbia to play the Chargers of Columbia State. Cole McKellar took the mound for the Tigers and threw 5 solid innings to keep the Tigers in the game. He came out in the 5th and was relieved by Will Spann and then Adam Knight who each threw 1 perfect inning. The Tigers took a 2-1 lead in the 3rd behind a hit by pitch and walk and then a double by Bucky Strickland. The Chargers came back and took a 5-2 lead and then in the top of the 7th the Tigers broke loose for 6 unanswered runs. Chad Cunningham, Adam Cross, Bucky Strickland, and Tyler Champion all got consecutive hits and then Steve Simmons chipped in a run scoring hit also. The Chargers scored 1 in the 7th but Adam Knight came on to record his 4th save.
The second game was a topsy-turvy affair where the Tigers scored 4 in the first only to have Columbia State come back and answer with 4 of their own in the first. Adam Cross had his second consecutive rough start and Will SPann had to come in and settle things down. The score was 7-6 Tigers in the 6th when they scored 2 more crucial runs on a key hit by Adam Cross and Matt Glass. Adam Knight came on to get his 5th save by getting out of a tough jam in the bottom of the 7th.

March 4th Chattanooga State at Columbia State
The Tigers came out a little flat in the Saturday affair as they scored 1 in the second inning behind a big hit by Tyler Champion. The Chargers answered with a run in the 4th to tie the game and the Tigers scored another solo run in the 6th only to have the Chargers come back and score 4 runs. With the score 6-2 the Chargers scored 2 more insurance runs in the 8th and they proved huge as the Tigers mounted a comeback and scored 2 in the 9th and had 2 more runners on base. Bucky Strickland, Aaron Simmons, and Tyler Champion each had 2 hits apiece.

March 10th Chattanooga State vs. Shorter College JV
Chatt State hosted the Shorter JV and coasted to the win in the first game 5-0 as Jeffrey Stoker threw 6 innings and allowed only 3 hits and no runs. Coleman McKellar came in and threw a perfect 7th inning. Derek Welborn had 2 hits and 1 RBI in the game and Adam Cross chipped in a hit and an RBI.
Game two started out as a tightly played affair as Daniel Hackett took the mound for the Tigers and held Shorter scoreless for 3 innings. The Tigers finally broke the score open with 7 in the 2nd behind hits by Matt Glass ( two singles ), Zane Rice, Derek Welborn, Adam Cross and Bucky Strickland and a double by Aaron Hookman. AJ Renfrow chipped in 3 hits for the game and 3 RBI's as the Tigers blew open the game and went on to win 11-1.

March 12th Chattanooga State vs. Dyersburg State
The third series for the Tigers was an exciting one as day one brought the doubleheader games. The first game Coleman McKellar took the mound and threw a great game. He went 6 2/3 innings and allowed 4 hits overall. He allowed 3 runs but all were unearned. The Tigers jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the 2nd when after one out Aaron Simmons singled to right and then Tyler Champion walked and Aaron Hookman was hit by pitch. Derek Welborn hit a single to left to drive in 2 and Chad Cunningham had a RBI hit to right field. Dyersburg came back and scored 2 in the top of the 3rd and the Tigers scored again in the 4th as Matt Glass reached on a fielder's choice and stole second. Aaron Simmons drove him in with a double to right field. Dyersburg scored once again in the 4th inning and the score remained this way the rest of the game. Adam Knight came in with 2 outs in the 7th and recorded the save.
Game 2 was one for the ages as it went 15 innings before the Tigers prevailed in the dark. Will Spann started for the Tigers and only lasted 1/3 of an inning. Dyersburg scored 4 runs but Daniel Hackett came on and threw the next 8 innings and allowed only 2 runs. Dyersburg was up 5-0, when in the 4th the Tigers blasted in 6 runs. Chad Cunningham opened with a single and then after a walk and an out, Glass was hit by a pitch. After another out, Tyler Champion hit a 2 run single and Derek Welborn and Zane Rice reached base before AJ Renfrow hit a huge 2 run double. Cunningham then drove in another run with a single. Dyersburg scored in the 7th to tie the game up and force extra innings. Both teams had numerous chances to score runs but the defense and pitching made big plays and pitches. Dyersburg scored in the 11th and 14th inning and both times the Tigers came back and scored runs. In the 11th with 1 out the Tigers mounted a rally behind a walk and then a pair of singles by Bucky Strickland and Matt Glass. In the 14th Andy Simunic got a HUGE 2-out, 2-strike single up the middle to tie the game. In the 15th inning as darkness was upon the field, Matt Glass got a 2-strike single with 2-outs to score Renfrow and secure the win. Bryan Tapley and Jeff Stoker came in and threw great and Adam Knight threw 2 innings and got the win.

March 13th Chattanooga State vs. Dyersburg State
Game three started off poorly for the Tigers as again, Dyersburg jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first. Derek Brewer didn't get out of the first inning and Paul Davis came in relief and threw well for over 5 innings. The Tigers scored 1 in the first behind a pair of singles by Renfrow and Cunningham and then a sacrifice fly out by Strickland. The score remained there until the top of the 6th when Dyersburg scored 3 more runs and then the Tigers answered with 2 runs in the bottom half of the inning. Chad Cunningham and AJ Renfrow had RBI's in that inning but the Tigers left the bases jammed and couldn't score more. Dyersburg held on and won 8-3 as the Tigers won the series 2 out of 3 games.

March 15th Chattanooga State at Georgia Perimeter College
Chatt State headed to Atlanta to play Perimeter College a doubleheader and the first game was another pitcher's dual. Daniel Hackett threw 4 innings and allowed only 1 run and then Bryan Tapley threw 2 1/3 innings and allowed only 1 unearned run. Unfortunately, the Tigers only scored 1 run for the game and lost 2-1. Aaron Simmons provided the only run with a solo home run to right field in the second inning.
The second game began and was another well pitched game. Myron Jensen started for Chatt State and went 3 innings without allowing a run. Derek Brewer came in and didn't allow anything for 1 2/3 innings. The Tigers finally broke through and scored a run in the 5th behind a single by Chad Cunningham and then a double by Steven Simmons. In the 6th, the Tigers finally blew open the game with 5 runs. After a pair of outs and a hit by pitch, Tyler Champion walked and then AJ Renfrow rifled a single to right. Chad Cunningham walked to plate a run and then Steve Simmons rifled a 3 RBI double to right-center field. Andy Simunic finished the scoring with a single to center. Perimeter scored 2 runs in the bottom of the 6th but didn't do anything else the rest of the way.

March 18th Chattanooga State at Hiwassee College
Chattanooga State went up to Madisonville to play the Tigers of Hiwassee College a 3 game series. The first day Hiwassee jumped off to a 3-0 lead in the first 2 innings as Derek Brewer struggled to settle in. Brewer finally found his pace and threw a very solid 6 innings. Chatt State finally broke through and scored 2 in the 5th to cut into the lead. After an error, Andy Simunic and AJ Renfrow had back to back singles and then a hit by pitch and fielder's choice put the bases loaded and Adam Cross hit an RBI sacrifice fly. In the 8th Chatt State tied the game behind a squeeze bunt by Andy Simunic. Bucky Strickland led off the inning with a double and then Matt Glass hit a single. After a walk and then an out, Simunic put down his game-tying bunt. Chatt State went into extra innings again and scored 2 in the 10th when Andy Simunic hit a 2 run double. This scored Glass and Simmons who had walked and singled respectively. Adam Knight received the win in relief, while Will Spann and Bryan Tapley pitched well before him. Simunic ended the day 3-5 with 4 RBI's and Strickland had a 3 for 5 day also.

March 19th Chattanooga State at Hiwassee College
The doubleheader started off badly as the game was delayed due to an umpire problem and then Chatt State's catcher, Bucky Strickland, broke his nose during pre-game. This made the Tigers rush Andy Simunic into duty and he preformed admirably. Both teams scored in the first inning as Chatt State's AJ Renfrow got a single and was sacrificed over to second and then moved to 3rd on a fielder's choice and scored on an infield single by Aaron Hookman. Coleman McKellar allowed a solo run in the first also. Hiwassee scored one in the 4th to take the lead and then Chattanooga State came back with 2 in the 6th. Hookman and Matt Glass opened the stanza with singles and then after a sacrifice bunt, Andy Simunic plated both people on an error by the second baseman. In the 7th, Chatt State built on their lead by scoring 3 more runs. Renfrow, Cross and Strickland walked and then Matt Glass had a 2 run single to center and Andy Simunic drove in another with a single. McKellar allowed 2 runs in the 7th but completed his first complete game of this season with a win.
Daniel Hackett came out strong in the second game and the Tigers of Chatt State built a 4-0 lead with runs in the 3rd and 4th inning. Aaron Simmons hit a solo HR in the 3rd and then Cross, Glass and Hookman all had consecutive hits in the fourth and Derek Welborn had a big 2 run double. In the 5th, Hackett lost his stuff after 2 outs and allowed 4 hits and 5 runs as Hiwassee took the lead 5-4. Chatt State came roaring back and scored 9 runs in the 6th as Aaron Hookman, Welborn, Aaron Simmons had key hits and AJ Renfrow hit a huge 3 run HR to right field. Bryan Tapley and Adam Knight came on and cleaned up the remaining two innings as Chatt State got the hard fought sweep over Hiwassee.

March 21st Chattanooga State at Tennessee Wesleyan JV
The Tigers headed up to Athens to take on Wesleyan's fine JV team and the first game was a battle from the start. Will Spann started and threw 2 innings but struggled consistently with location. He allowed 2 runs and was relieved by Paul Davis who allowed 3 runs. Wesleyan went ahead 5-1 in the 3rd and then the Tigers started their comeback. In the 4th after 2 outs Tyler Champion walked and then Derek Welborn and AJ Renfrow had hits followed by Chad Cunningham's 2 run double. In the 5th the Tigers threw up another 3 spot as Andy Simunic, Champion and Welborn all hit 2 out doubles. Bryan Tapley came in and threw a solid 2 innings not allowing a run as the Tigers won 7-5.
The second game went a little easier for Chatt State as Jeff Stoker continued the trend of good pitching going 4 innings and allowing no runs. After being scoreless for the first 3 innings, the Tigers scored 8 in the 4th inning. Cunningham, Cross, Glass, Aaron Simmons, Simunic, Champion and Welborn all had hits and Champion had a couple of RBI's. Wesleyan scored 3 in the 5th off of reliever Scott Zurcher and then the Tigers scored 1 in the 6th when Chad Cunningham followed AJ Renfrow's single and stolen base with another single. The Tigers scored 4 more in the 7th and was highlighted by Champion's 3 run HR to center field. The final score was 13-3 and this ran the Tiger's win streak to 6 games.

March 24th Chattanooga State vs. Jackson State
This series pitted the pre-season favored Jackson State Generals vs. the red-hot Tigers and promised to be a good one. Derek Brewer started game one and allowed 1 run in the first. Jackson jumped off to 6 more in the 3rd as the Tigers pitching began to break down. The inning had 4 HBP's and 3 walks with a couple of hits. Down 7-0, the Tigers chipped away with solo runs in the 3rd and 4th. Bucky Strickland had an RBI sacrifice fly and AJ Renfrow drove in one with a single. The Generals then blew the game wide open with 7 runs in the 7th as they torched Chris Combs for 5 runs. The Tigers came back and scored 2 in the bottom of the inning but it wasn't nearly enough. Aaron Simmons had 2 hits and 2 RBI's and Bucky Strickland had 2 hits and 1 RBI.

March 25th-26th Chattanooga State vs. Jackson State
Game 1 of the doubleheader put Chattanooga State's Coleman McKellar on the hill sporting a 5-1 record. He threw a solid 5 innings allowing only 3 runs to the hot hitting Generals. The Tigers came out early and put up 4 runs in the first and a solo run in the second. In the first, after 1 out and a hit by pitch, Adam Cross hit a run scoring single and then Aaron Hookman drove in two with a single to center. In the second AJ Renfrow walked and got around the bases scoring on a wild pitch at the plate. Unfortunately, that was all of the scoring for the Tigers until late. Jackson came back and scored 3 by the 5th and then in the seventh inning they erupted for 6 runs. After a leadoff HR, they had a strikeout and single vs Adam Knight. Knight then struck out the next hitter but the batter reached on a wild pitch after the strikeout. Then the hitter hit a flair out to right that Adam Cross was closing on to catch and pulled his hamstring allowing it to drop. A few other hits finished the scoring and while the Tigers came in and scored 1 run it wasn't enough.
Game 2 started off where the first one left off with the Generals scoring 6 in the first inning off of previously red-hot Daniel Hackett. After this the Tigers paraded 4 pitchers through the game and allowed only 3 hits and no further runs. Unfortunately, the Tigers only scored 1 run in the 4th and another 2 in the 5th but fell short of a complete comeback. Aaron Simmons drove in one run with a single and then Matt Glass had a key 2-RBI double in the 5th but was left stranded. The Tigers fought hard but fell short of obtaining a much needed win in this series.

April 2nd-3rd Chattanooga State at Motlow State
On a raw and chilly day at Tullahoma, the Tigers came in to play the Motlow State Bucks. Daniel Hackett took the mound for the Tigers and threw very well after a bit of a rocky start. He gave up 3 runs in the first but only 1 earned as the Tigers made 2 errors. He also allowed 1 more in the second and then settled down nicely to throw 8 innings allowing 2 earned runs and only 6 hits. The Tigers came back with a solo run in the 7th when AJ Renfrow doubled to left field and scored on Adam Cross' fielders choice. The Tigers mounted rallies in many late innings but couldn't push the runs across. In the 9th inning, they scored 1 behind another double by Renfrow, this time to center field, and then a sacrifice fly by Bucky Strickland. The Tigers fell 4-2 in a tough game. AJ Renfrow went 4-5 and Chad Cunningham went 3-5 in the loss.
Game 2 began the next day under a much warmer and sunnier sky. The Tigers jumped out to a 3-0 lead behind Coleman McKellar's solid pitching. He allowed only 1 hit through the first 3 innings but unfortunately errors again haunted the Tigers. The Bucks scored 3 unearned runs in the 3rd to tie the game. The Bucks went ahead by a run in the 5th but the Tigers came back and scored 2 in the 6th. Aaron Simmons hit a towering home run to right field following a walk to Matt Glass. Unfortunately, this wasn't enough as McKellar faltered in the 7th and loaded the bases up with no outs on 3 hits. Bryan Tapley relieved and struck one hitter out but allowed a walk and a hit to score the winning runs.
Game 3 was all Adam Knight for the Tigers. The freshman reliever from Ridgeland High School got his first start of the year and did a marvelous job. He threw a complete game shutout and allowed only 4 hits. For this outing he was awarded the TBCA Pitcher of the Week. The Tigers won 9-0 as they scored 6 runs in the 3rd to break the game open. After a walk to Chad Cunningham and a couple of outs, the offense really got rolling. Bucky Strickland hit a double to left center field. After a HBP and a strikeout and error, Andy Simunic and Derek Welborn had big singles. In the fourth inning Adam Cross scored a run when he got on a fielder's choice. The Tigers scored 2 more in the 7th behind big hits by Strickland and Matt Glass and Andy Simunic and a walk to Tyler Champion. The final score was 9-0.

April 9th-10th Chattanooga State vs. Roane State
Roane State arrived in Chattanooga for a big series with the Tigers. Cole McKellar took the mound and threw a gem. He threw a 5 inning shutout and won 10-0. He only allowed 2 hits and was awarded the TBCA Pitcher of the Week making that 2 weeks in a row that a Chatt State pitcher had garnered the award. The Tiger offense was primed by AJ Renfrow who had 1 hit and 4 RBI's but the hit was a 3 run HR. Chat Cunningham also had a big HR and 2 hits and drove in 3 runs. Game 2 started off a little shakier for the Tigers but they soon picked it up. Roane scored 1 unearned run in the 3rd off of Adam Knight but the Tigers came back and scored 2 in the 4th behind a single by Aaron Simmons and a walk to Aaron Hookman followed by a fielder's choice and a big single by Derek Welborn. 3 more runs followed in the 5th by the Tigers as they were led off by Adam Cross' double to left field. After a sacrifice bunt, Matt Glass and Simmons each had singles. Another HBP followed and then a single by Welborn closed out that stanzas scoring. In the 6th the Tigers relentlessly tacked on 5 more runs as hits came from Renfrow, Cross, Glass, Simmons and Tyler Champion. Adam Knight was relieved by Bryan Tapley and he preformed very well.
Game 3 started began well for the Tigers who jumped out to a 3-0 lead. Aaron Hookman scored the first run after getting on a single and moving around to score on Chad Cunningham's single. 2 more followed in the 4th as Cunningham and Derek Welborn had big hits. Unfortunately, the defense let down and Roane scored 3 unearned runs to tie the score. 3 more followed in the following inning as only 1 of those was earned. The scoring was finished for the day and though they challenged many times, the Tigers fell 6-5. Daniel Hackett threw 5 good innings and Jeffrey Stoker came in and threw 2+ quality innings.

April 11th Chattanooga State at Shorter College JV
Chatt State arrived at Shorter College in Rome Georgia hoping to get back on their winning ways. Adam Cross started for the Tigers and it was the first time he had been on the mound in a number of weeks due to arm soreness and a "tweaked" hamstring. He threw 5 wonderful innings and allowed only 1 hit while striking out 5. Bryan Tapley came on and threw one hitless inning, striking out 2 and then Scott Zurcher finished up throwing 1 inning and allowing no hits either. The offense was slow getting out of the gate. They got multiple runners on the first few innings and just couldn't get the BIG hit to break it open. Finally, in the 5th inning, the floodgates opened up for 4 runs. With the bases loaded, Chad Cunningham hit a bases clearing triple to open the scoring. He then scored on Andy Simunic's ground ball to shortstop. In the 6th, the Tigers scored 6 more and put the game away. Bucky Strickland had a double followed by hits by Matt Glass, Aaron Simmons, Chad Cunningham and Andy Simunic. In the 7th, the Tigers finished the game with 4 more behind key hits by Derek Welborn, Cunningham, and Zane Rice. The final score was 15-0 and a good win for the Tigers.

April 15th-16th Chattanooga State at Southwest Tennessee Community College
The Tigers went West to play the Saluquis from SW TN CC. The Tigers were taking on the former conference champions at their home field and it proved to be a tough test. Daniel Hackett took the mound for the opener and twirled a gem. He went 8 innings and allowed only 3 runs and 1 earned on 6 hits. The Tigers fell behind 1-0 in the 2nd inning and didn't break through and score until the 6th inning when they registered 2 runs. Adam Cross walked with 2 outs and Bucky Strickland boomed a double to left field to score him. Strickland scored on Matt Glass' single to center. The Tigers scored 3 more in teh 7th when Aaron Simmons walked and was sacrificed over to second. Chad Cunningham walked and Derek Welborn hit a single followed by AJ Renfrow's sacrifice fly ball to center. Andy Simunic drove in a couple more with a single to center field. The Saluqis scored one in the 7th and 8th to tighten it up and Bryan Tapley came on and slammed the door in the ninth for his 5th save of the season.
Game 2 began with Cole McKellar on the mound for the Tigers and he threw another great game. He went 5 innings and allowed 3 runs while only allowing 3 hits. The Tigers got ahead 3-1 only to see the Saluqis come back and score 2 in the 6th to tie the score. Steve Simmons had a big 2-RBI single to put the Tigers up originally. The game went into extra innings as Jeff Stoker came in and threw 3 great innings for the Tigers not allowing a hit or a run. The Tigers broke the game open in the 9th as they scored 7 unanswered runs. Hits by Simunic, Strickland, Matt Glass, Aaron Simmons were instrumental to putting the game away. Game 3 started with hot pitching Adam Knight on the hill for the Tigers. He went 6 strong innings and allowed 4 runs and 5 hits. Even without his best stuff, Adam threw a gutty game. The Saluquis jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second as the right fielder misplayed a line drive for 2 runs. The Tigers came back in the 5th and after having left countless guys on base, scored a run on Strickland's double to left field. Unfortunately, the Tigers continued to strand runners and lost the game 4-1.

April 19th Chattanooga State vs. Gordon College
Gordon College arrived in Chattanooga sporting a 8 game winning streak. They were hot and playing very well. The Tigers sent Derek Brewer to the mound and after allowing a single run in the first he settled down and held them at bay for 4 more innings. He only allowed 2 hits and 1 run. The Tigers scored 3 runs in the 2nd behind big hits by Steve Simmons and Derek Welborn and Chad Cunningham. They chipped in a solo run in the 3rd and 2 more in the 4th. Adam Cross scored in the 3rd after singling and stealing a base. He was plated on Aaron Simmons' single. Bucky Strickland had the big hit in the 4th as the Tigers threatened to run away with the game. After the Tigers had scored 1 more in the 5th to make it 7-1, Gordon came roaring back against Bryan Tapley and Coleman McKellar to make the game close and the final score was 7-5 Chatt State. Game 2 was much of the same as Adam Cross started and threw 6 innings allowing 1 earned run and 5 hits while striking out 4. The Tigers jumped out to a 6-2 lead by scoring in 3 of the first 5 innings. Strickland and Aaron Simmons' had RBI's with Simmons' garnering 3 of them. Again, Gordon came back and made it close by scoring 3 in the final stanza off of Jeff Stoker but the Tigers won 6-5 sweeping a very good Gordon team for the season.

April 23rd-24th Chattanooga State vs. Volunteer State CC