Monday's Prep Baseball: Tribe opens with narrow SIRR victory
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[In beginning defense of its consecutive River-to-River Conference titles in the Mississippi Division, Du Quoin High School's young baseball team certainly showed a flair for drama Monday afternoon.
Tyler Shelton poked a two-run single in the last of the sixth inning, pushing Du Quoin (7-3, 1-0) to a 7-6 win over Sparta (6-2, 0-1) at The Ballpark at DHS.
Sparta then scored once and had the tying run at third base as the game ended.
Tuesday at 4:30, the Indians host Chester.
"We did a good job of executing on offense today. We moved some runners around and put down some good bunts. "Indians coach Tim Craft said.
"Defensively we are going to have to improve. Our conference is too tough to allow any extra outs."
Du Quoin committed four errors in the contest and gave Sparta just two earned runs.
Trent Bigham (3-0) worked the first six innings for the Tribe, walking a season-high six but striking out eight. He gave just three hits.
Sophomore Keegan Robbins worked the seventh for his first career varsity save.
After Sparta plated two unearned tallies against Bigham in the first, Du Quoin scored when Jake Stanhouse's RBI grounder sent J.C. Davis home.
In the third, Robbins singled and came home when Brandon George lifted an RBI double to the rightfield wall.
An inning later, the Indians tied the score when Seth Baxter's double chased home Sam Gossett. Later in the frame, a perfect squeeze bunt from Robbins sent Kyle Kelley safely home to put Du Quoin ahead.
Gossett's RBI infield hit-and a fielders choice from Kelley pushed the Tribe back in front an inning later. After Davis was intentionally walked, Shelton lined a clean single past the shortstop to score Kelley and Seth Baxter.
" Kegan Robbins had a great game today. Had a great catch in center field and aid down a great squeeze bunt," Craft said. "He then came in and got the save. Trent Bigam struggled with his control a little bit today. However, he battled for us and gave us six innings and allowed us a chance to win."
Baxter and Gossett each had two hits with Davis, Shelton, George, Bigham, Baxter and Robbins contributing safeties.
Du Quoin 7, Sparta 6
Sparta 210 010 1-6 5 2
DHS 101 203 x-7 10 4
Bigham, Robbins (7) and Shelton. Thompson and Loyd. WP-Bigham, 3-0. LP-Thompson. SV-Robbins, 1. TOP HITTERS-DHS: Davis 1-3, Shelton 1-4 (2 RBI), George 1-3 (2B, RBI), Stanhouse (RBI), Bigham 1-3, Gossett 2-2 (RBI), Kelley 1-2 (RBI), Baxter 2-3 (2B, RBI), Robbins 1-2 (RBI).