EULA – The No. 7 May Tigers suffered just their second loss of the season as a 15-game win streak came to an end at the hands of the No. 2 Hamlin Pied Pipers Wednesday in Game 1 of a Class A Region I baseball semifinals series.

Game 2 between May (16-2) and Hamlin (17-1) will take place at 6 p.m. Thursday back in Eula, and if the Tigers are victorious, Game 3 will be held at 6 p.m. Monday, also in Eula.

In Wednesday’s series opener, Hamlin scored the final four runs of the contest after May grabbed a 2-1 advantage in the bottom of the first inning.

After the Pied Pipers pushed across a run in the top of the first inning, the Tigers fired back with a lead-off single by Cayson Dail, a one-out single by Brody Stice, and a tying RBI single from Kobey Morris that plated Dail. Kaden Watkins followed with an RBI single that scored Stice, but Morris was retired at third base for the second out, and May was unable to score again.

Hamlin drew even at 2 in the top of the third on a two-out bases-loaded walk by Jayden Garner. Earlier in the inning, Ian Gruben and Derrick Lechuga singled and Hagan Hollard walked to fill the sacks before an out was recorded.

The Pied Pipers surged in front with two runs in the top of the fourth inning on a one-out, two-RBI double by Lechuga that brought home Isaiah Hutchings, who started the frame with a double, followed by a single from Luke White.

Hamlin added a final run in the fifth as Gruben’s RBI sacrifice fly scored Zane Leonard, who walked to start the frame.

Gruben also limited May to only six hits – two by Watkins and one apiece from Dail, Stice, Morris and Jackson Lusk.

On the mound for the Tigers, Goodson and Dail combined to surrender five earned runs on eight hits with 11 strikeouts and 11 walks.

***

CLASS A REGION I SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

Cross Plains 12, Petersburg 0 – Game 1

(Games 2 and 3, if needed, at 1 p.m. Friday at Hermleigh)