By Brandon Sumrall/Special to the Advertiser

With the majority of the Chilton County Tigers’ lineup picking up at least one hit against the visiting Paul Bryant Stampede on Tuesday night, the Tigers jumped out to an early lead on their way to an 11-5 win. 

With the Tigers retiring the Stampede in order in the top of the first inning, Cade Hatch started things off with a double to right centerfield for the Tigers in the bottom of the first.

A single by Colby Ramsey scored Hatch to give the Tigers an early 1-0 lead.

The Tigers (13-12 overall, 3-2 region) shut down Paul Bryant in the top of the second, while tacking on four more runs in the bottom half of the inning.

With Tolliver Gilliland reaching on a Stampede error, another Paul Bryant (10-8, 1-3) error on a Giquon Lane ground ball allowed Gilliland to score. Lane, along with Hatch, who reached on a single, later scored on Stampede errors while a Hunter Bennett infield ground ball scored Garren Minor—who also reached on a single.

After two, the Tigers led 5-0.

With two outs on the Stampede in the top of the third inning and Sterling Hinton aboard after being hit by a pitch, a shot by Tyler Slayton over the left centerfield wall made the score 5-2.

Dustin Cleckler started off the bottom half of the third inning with a double to left, and with Hatch reaching on a fielder’s choice, Cleckler scored to extend the lead to 6-2.

Minor followed with a single of his own to score Hatch and make the Tigers’ lead 7-2 after three innings of play.

Two singles by the Stampede in the top of the fourth did little to help their cause, while the Tigers tacked on two more runs in the bottom half of the inning.

Corbin Bice started the inning being hit by a pitch, while a walk to Ramsey gave the Tigers two on with no outs.

Gilliland scored Bice with a sacrifice fly to left, and a Lane double to left centerfield scored Ramsey to bring the score to 9-2.

A two-out single by the Stampede in the top of the fifth left one man stranded on second after a strike out by Gilliland.

Hatch started the home half of the fifth inning with a double to right center,  and three batters later, a double to left center by Trenton Bishop scored Hatch.

With Griffin Green pinch running for Bishop, a single by Bice scored Green to give the Tigers an 11-1 lead.

With the Tigers making a pitching change to start the seventh inning, the Stampede picked up three runs in the inning.

With consecutive fly balls resulting in two outs, back-to-back singles gave the Stampede life late in the game.

A Slayton triple to the right centerfield wall scored two for Paul Bryant, and with Slayton later scoring on a wild pitch, the Stampede cut he Tigers’ lead to six runs.

It was too little, too late for the Stampede, as a ground ball to Hatch was relayed to Bishop for the putout to bring the game to a close.

Lane led the Tigers with a 2-for-3 performance at the plate with two doubles and two RBI.

Gilliland pitched six innings, allowing two earned runs, issuing one walk, five strike outs and six hits.

The Tigers will bring their 2015 regular season to a close April 13 at 5 p.m. at home against the Jemison Panthers.