TULLAHOMA, Tenn. – The Shelbyville Central Golden Eagles (20-6, 4-2) saw their nine-game winning streak come to an end in the ‘Battle of Highway 41-A’ at Tullahoma, 11-5, on Tuesday night. 

After mustering up just four hits against Kaleb Maillet in game one of the series on Monday, the Wildcats’ offense was on fire from the first pitch, tallying 15 hits total as a team en route to scoring 11 runs. Meanwhile, Shelbyville Central’s offense mustered up eight hits, but left 10 runners stranded on base in the process. 

Lukas Taylor got the start for the hosts, pitching 5.0 innings and giving up two earned runs on five hits and two walks with seven strikeouts in the win. Beaux Sanders pitched the sixth inning, giving up one earned run on one hit and two walks with one strikeout followed by JD Schmisseur pitching the seventh inning and allowing two earned runs on two hits and one walk with one strikeout. 

Brody Thomas got the start for Shelbyville Central, and he uncharecteristically lasted just 2.1 innings. Thomas’ final line finished as eight runs given up – seven earned – on nine hits and two walks with no strikeouts on 59 pitches. Braxton Vari came on in relief, getting the final two outs of the third inning while giving up one earned run on two hits. Case David pitched the fourth inning, walking just one batter while giving up no runs, before Ashton Whorley pitched the fifth. Whorley gave up one hit and one walk with no runs before Elijah Westbrooks came on for the sixth inning and gave up two earned runs on three hits, including a home run. 

Tullahoma batted around in the bottom of the first inning, driving in four runs to take an early 4-0 lead. Shelbyville Central responded with a pair of their own in the top of the third to trim the lead in half, 4-2, following a Caden Peacock 2-RBI double, but then the Wildcats plated five more runs in the bottom of the inning to take a commanding 9-2 advantage.

Neither team scored in the fourth or fifth innings, and then the Golden Eagles managed to plate one in the top of the sixth. However, the Wildcats scored two more insurance runs to take an 11-3 lead heading into the seventh. Despite plating two more runs in the final frame, the Wildcats held on to secure a series split in the rivalry series.

At the plate for the Golden Eagles, Blake Bone went 1-for-3 with a walk, Stephen Bobo finished 2-for-3 with a walk and a double, and Peacock hit 3-for-4 with a double and two RBIs. Camron Burke was 1-for-2 with an RBI and a walk, and Braxton Vari finished 1-for-4 with an RBI. 

Shelbyville Central heads to Creekwood on Friday and Saturday for the Good Day to Play Classic before returning to District 6-AAAA play with a two-game series against Cookeville beginning on Monday.