The Salem High School baseball team split its first two games in the Cabool Tournament.
Monday the Tigers opened the season by blasting host Cabool 18-6. And on Tuesday Salem lost to Van Buren 4-3.
It was Cabool who got off to a fast start, scoring two runs in the bottom of the first inning and four in the second.
After that it was all Salem, as the Tigers erupted for seven runs in the top of the third inning, eight in the fourth and three in the fifth.
Salem had just seven hits but took advantage of 14 walks and five Cabool errors.
Senior Jordan Shults belted a home run, single and drove in six runs for Salem while junior Reese Dodson had two singles and walked three times; sophomore Baylor Petty had a hit and two RBI; junior Silas Wulff had a hit, and freshman Garrett Connell a double.
Four players pitched for Salem, with sophomore Kody Crocker getting the win in relief.
After Van Buren took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning, Salem tied it up in the top of the third. Van Buren would take the lead for good with a single run in the fourth and adding what proved to be the winning run in the fifth.
Salem ended the scoring with a run in the seventh.
Salem outhit Van Buren 10-7. Senior Boone Schrader, Leathers, Petty and sophomore Eli Wethy each had two hits for the Tigers while Shults and Wulff each had one. Both of Schrader’s hits were doubles and Petty drove in two runs.
Junior Brett Fore was the starting and losing pitcher for Salem, allowing five hits and four walks over four innings while fanning three. Connell finished the final two innings on the mound, allowing two hits and two walks.
