The Walker Valley Mustangs fell to the loser's bracket of the 4A state baseball tournament with a 4-1 loss to Centennial Tuesday at Oakland High School, in Murfeesboro. The Cougars took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning and tacked on two more in the third and fourth.
Walker Valley's Tucker Ownby singled to lead off the Mustangs' fourth, moved to second on a fielder's choice and stood on third after a Centennial wild pitch. Michael Pledge sent a line drive to left field to score Ownby for Walker Valley's only run of the game.
The Mustangs (22-14) will go against the loser of Collierville and Hardin Valley at 11 a.m., Wednesday while the Cougars (25-12) will battle the winner at 1:30 p.m.
Ryan Yates earned the win for the Cougars. The right-handed hurler gave up one run on four hits over seven innings and struck out five.
Chipper Franks took the loss for Walker Valley. Franks went 5 1/3 innings allowing four runs on six hits while fanning five Cougars.
The bottom of the third saw Ryan Sweeney rip a double to center that scored courtesy runner Kyler Wood.
The Cougars added another run in the fourth recovering a run scored by the Mustangs in the top of the inning.
Erimel Rosado singled to right with two outs to score Yates, who earlier was hit by a pitch and moved to second on a sacrifice fly.
Centennial added a final insurance run in the lower half of the sixth after sitting the Mustangs down in order.
Malaki Moore led off with an infield single and trotted off as courtesy runner Eli Wells took over at first and stood on second after a Walker Valley error. He later crossed home for the final run of the game on a fly ball to right.
Jordan Smith kept the Mustangs alive in the top of the second working Cougars' pitching for a walk. A Logan Wallace line drive to right put runners of second and first for Walker Valley. But, it was all the Mustangs could produce as Yates and company picked up the final three outs to close out the win.
Logan Wallace led Walker Valley with two hits in two at bats.
Moore went 2 for 3 at the plate to lead Centennial and knocked in the first Centennial run.
WALKER VALLEY 000 100 0 — 1 4 1
CENTENNIAL 011 101 x — 4 6 0
WP: Ryan Yates LP: Chipper Franks 2B: Michael Pledge (WV); Ryan Sweeney (C); HIGHLIGHTS: Tucker Ownby RS, Pledge RBI, Logan Wallace 2-2 (WV); Erimel Rosado RBI, Sweeney RBI, Jack Scearce RS, Malaki Moore 2-3 RBI, Yates RS, Kyler Wood RS, Eli Wells RS (C). RECORDS: Walker Valley 22-14; Centennial 25-12.