The Russellville Indians baseball team ended its season in a 6-5 loss on May 20 to the Skyline Tigers in the sectional round of the Class 2 state playoffs.
The Indians trailed 1-0 after two innings thanks to a Skyline double in the bottom of the first inning. Russellville tied the game at 1-1 in the top of the third inning, as Nick Thompson, Mason Stewart and Austin Roe all forced in a walk with two outs to give Matthew Miller a chance to tie the game with the bases loaded and two outs. Miller then hit an RBI single to tie the game.
Skyline retook the lead in the bottom of the third inning to make it a 2-1 game. The score remained the same until the top of the fifth inning when Russellville scored four runs to make it a 5-2 game. After back-to-back walks to start the top of the fifth inning, Austin Roe tied the game on a single to right field. Two batters later, Dawson Koch gave the Indians the lead with a two RBI triple. Trenton Morrow then made it a 5-2 game when he reached on an error by the right fielder, and Koch scored as a result of the play.
Russellville forced a 1-2-3 inning for Skyline in the bottom of the fifth inning. But the Indians were unable to expand their lead in the top of the sixth inning.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, Skyline threatened to score as they loaded the bases with one out thanks to two walks and an error. After a strikeout by Matthew Miller made it two outs in the inning, it looked like the Indians might make it out of the inning with the same score. Miller struck out Trevor Russell, but the ball got away from catcher Trenton Morrow, who tried to throw the ball to first base. But the ball went past first baseman Austin Roe and toward right field. All three runners on base scored on the play to tie the game at 5-5.
Skyline took the lead after two more walks and a hit by pitch to make it a 6-5 game.
In the top of the seventh inning, Koch got on first base after an error and advanced to second base on a fielder's choice. Landon Plochberger then walked and the Indians had two men on base and two outs. But Chandler Miller lined out to left field to end the game.
Russellville scored five runs on four hits and had nine walks in the game. Nick Thompson lead the team with three walks, and Mason Stewart and Landon Plochberger both had two walks.
On the mound, Nick Thompson pitched three innings for the Indians and gave up two runs on four hits but struck out one batter. Dawson Koch pitched two innings and gave up two hits and struck out three batters for Russellville.