Tigers Baseball Battle Excellent Competition at Jay Higgins Classic

March 13, 2025

By Tony Adams

The Belton Journal



The Belton Tigers traveled to the Dallas area last week to compete at the Jay Higgins/Lake Highlands Classic.

The Tigers started the tournament on Thursday as they took on Denison and Richardson at Eagles Ballpark.

In the opener, the Tigers scored in all six innings as Belton run-ruled Denison in six innings, 13-4.

Belton scored in the first on Austin Wood’s sacrifice fly plated Gage Flores.

The Tigers added two in the second on Rayshaun Peoples’ double that score Mayson Chartier and Cole Heisler’s bases-loaded walk that scored Peoples.

Will Shepard’s two-run single that scored Mayson Chartier and Oakley Torres in the third, and Torres’ single that scored Trey Garcia in the fourth lifted Belton’s advantage to 6-0.

After the Yellow Jackets scored on an RBI triple in the 4th, the Tigers answered in the fifth on Jacob Quigley’s two-run single.

Denison scored a pair of runs in the fifth before the Tigers capped their scoring with five runs in the top of the sixth. Torres scored on a wild pitch, Garcia scored on an error, Quigley’s single scored Peoples and Pecos Smith, and Haisler’s groundout scored Shepard to give the Tigers a 10-run lead.

Flores had three of Belton’s nine hits. Quigley drove in four runs, and Haisler and Shepard each drove in two runs.

Haisler pitched five innings for the victory, allowed two earned runs on five hits, struck out four and walked two. Billy Young pitched an inning, allowed a run on one hit, struck out two and walked one.

The Tigers took on Richardson next.

The Eagles erased a 1-0 lead in the fifth with four runs and held on for a 4-3 win.

Belton struck first in the top of the fifth when Torres scored on a passed ball.

After the Eagles’ four runs in the fifth, Haisler scored on a wild pitch in the sixth and drove home Smith on a sacrifice fly in the sixth.

Jose Rangel pitched five innings, allowed four runs on six hits, struck out six and walked three. Garcia pitched an inning of relief and struck out two.

On Friday, the scene shifted to Rams Ballpark, as the Tigers took on Berkner and Garland Naaman Forest.

The pitcher’s duel between Wood and Berkner’s went into the sixth inning, with Wood having carried a no-hitter into the frame. The Rams scored five times as Berkner defeated the Tigers, 5-1.

Peoples belted two of Belton’s six hits in the contest.

Pinch runner Landon Owens scored on a throwing error by the Berkner middle infielder to break up the shutout.

Wood pitched 5 2/3 innings, allowed three earned runs on three hits, struck out six and walked five. Garcia closed out the sixth with a strikeout.

Belton jumped on the scoreboard first in the contest against the Rangers and rode a combined shutout by Quigley and Young to blank Naaman Forest, 2-0.

Haisler’s sacrifice fly with one out in the first score Flores, and Torres single in the fifth scored Haisler to account for the two Tiger runs.

Quigley pitched 5 1/3 innings for the win, having yielded two hits, struck out five and walked three. Young pitched 1 2/3 innings and struck out one.

The Tigers finished the tournament with a game at Richardson JJ Pearce on Saturday.

Having battled from a 4-1 hole, the Tigers took the lead in the fourth inning. A two-run rally in the bottom of the seventh won it for the Mustangs, 6-5.

Torres’ single scored Flores to get the Tigers on the board in the opening inning.

Pearce scored four runs in the bottom of the first to put Belton at a threerun deficit.

A bases-loaded walk to Flores scored Peoples and Haisler’s ground ball was mishandled to score Smith to clip the Tigers’ margin back to one.

The Tigers tied the game in the third on Smith’s fielder’s choice that scored Smith and took the lead on Wood’s single that scored Haisler in the fourth.

Pearce scored on an error and a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the seventh to win the game.

Torres, Wood, and Peoples each had two hits, as the Tigers had eight hits.

Owens pitched two innings, allowed one earned run on three hits, walked four and struck out one. Smith pitched two innings of relief and walked four. Garcia dealt 2 1/3 innings, allowed two unearned runs on one hit and walked three.

Belton ended the tournament with a 6-7 record.

“Dallas tournaments are always tough, and the Higgins/Lake Highlands Tournament brings plenty of competition,” Belton head coach Mark Krueger said. “We learned plenty about ourselves and got good work in.