The win is the second straight for the Tigers, who opened the season with three losses. Coach Howard Quigley says the team has been playing better than it record indicates.
“The games we lost, those first two games, we missed three fly balls and should have won those games,” says Quigley. Those losses were to Rogersville and Webb City–two of the strongest programs in the area.
“The biggest thing that’s a plus for our team is we’re coming out and competing. We’re in games. We’re still not fielding the ball very well, but that will get better. I’ve never had a team that didn’t field the ball.”
The pitching staff has been a strength through the first give games of the year, largely because Republic pitchers have been putting the ball over the plate.
“The kids are coming in and throwing strikes, and they’re getting the job done,” says Quigley.
Throwing strikes was a key to Eby’s success against Hillcrest Tuesday. He threw first-pitch strikes to 22 of the 28 batters he faced. He walked only two batters in seven innings, to go along with the three hits he allowed.
“I felt pretty good in the bullpen. My main goal was to come out and throw strikes,” he says.
And Eby says he was glad to get a chance to finish out the game in the 7th. He did it by striking out the side.
“Quig came up to me (after the 6th inning) and asked if I could finish it or not, and I told him I could do it, and he said ‘If one person gets on base, I’m coming out.’ So I went out there and pounded the strike zone, and it worked out.”
Republic had three hits, two by Jake Smith and one by Smiley. Smiley also reached on a hit-by-pitch.