In what was otherwise an exceptionally even game, Douglas High School's first inning was all the difference in the Tigers' 3-0 victory over the South Tahoe baseball team in Minden Thursday afternoon.
The Tigers, who won their seventh in a row, did all of their scoring in the first inning and then South Tahoe's Buck Pershing and Douglas' Tyler May took turns shutting the other team down on the mound.
May combined with Pat Lahlum for the shut out. May improved to 3-2 on the year while striking out four, walking none and scattering four hits over five innings.
Lahlum closed out the game with two strikeouts, no walks and two hits in two innings for the save.
Pershing was no less on the other side, striking out two, walking one and doling out five hits in a complete game.
Douglas got on the board early as D.J. Brady led off the bottom of the first with a double down the third base line.
May sacrificed him to third and Ryan Laing blasted a single straight up the middle to score Brady.
Catcher Roman Davis then doubled down the third base line as well, scoring Laing all the way from first. Davis advanced to third on a passed ball and was sacrificed home by right fielder Nate Whalin.
Pershing settled down after that, allowing just three more hits in the game.
South Tahoe, on the other hand, had several solid chances to put runs across.
Stephen Yarrow led off the top of the fourth with a single to right. Kevin Yelles then looped a single to left and Jamie Moore reached on a fielder's choice, sending Yarrow to third.
A strikeout and a ground ball to short ended the threat.
The Vikings' next best shot at scoring came in the top of the fifth as Bo Hallam blasted a one-out single to center.
Pershing then reached on a fielder's choice and stole second, but a fly ball to short ended the inning.
Brady, Davis, Whalin and Mannelly all doubles in the game while no one had multiple hits.
South Tahoe's Stephen Yarrow went 2-for-3 to lead the Vikings.
Douglas improved to 10-7 overall and 7-3 in Sierra League play.
-- Joey Crandall can be reached at jcrandall@recordcourier.com or at (775) 782-5121, ext. 212.
