Monday in Murfreesboro, the Forrest Rockets prevailed 5-4 over District 9-A foe MTCS behind a solid complete game effort by Zach Horvath and some clutch hitting by the lone FHS senior.

Horvath gave up zero earned runs in seven innings on the hill, while walking three and striking out eight Cougar batters.

Great batting

At the dish, Horvath put up a 2-4 night with two runs scored, one steal, a triple, and the eventual game-winning single in the fifth inning.

Alex Brewer went 1-3 with two RBIs, Jacob Daughrity walked, had two sacrifices, scored once, and stole two bases, and Caleb Keller went 1-3 with a steal and a score.

Tanner Garvin and Logan Hollingsworth had the other two hits off MTCS starter Peyton Buckner, who gave up two earned runs, while striking out 11 and walking one Rocket batter in a complete game loss.

On Tuesday in Chapel Hill, the two squads met again and the Rockets (14-7, 6-2) fell behind, caught up, and then watched as the Cougars (11-3-1, 7-1) put the game away with a four-run seventh inning to win 9-5 and maintain a one game lead over the Rockets for the top spot in the District 9-A standings.

Youth obvious

"Sometimes, everybody, myself included just forgets from time to time how young we are and inexperienced we are," said Forrest head coach Chris Parker. "It was the lack from the start of mental focus and to come out with that killer instinct that a junior or senior laden team might have."

Only two of the nine runs scored by the Cougars were of the earned variety as the Rockets' defense committed eight errors in the contest.

"We never made the plays behind Hollingsworth or Daughrity when we needed to," said Parker.

MTCS scored unearned runs in the first and second innings to take a 2-0 lead before the Rockets got one back in the bottom of the second inning when Austin Harber trotted home from third on a balk by Phillip Bonabi.

RBI base hits by Austin Melton and Caleb Gibson in the third extended the Cougars' lead to 4-1.

Rocket scorer

Daughrity would reach on an error to lead off the bottom of the third, steal second and then went to third on an MTCS error in a rundown play, before coming home to score on a passed ball.

There was no scoring in the fourth or fifth innings with Bonabi leaving in the fourth in favor of Howard, while Hollingsworth left in the top of the sixth with Daughrity coming to the hill for the Rockets.

The Cougars touched Daughrity with a single run in the sixth on an RBI fielder's choice by Justin Winn.

In the home half of the sixth, Forrest stormed back to tie the game as Keller led off with a scorching base hit to left and Horvath reached on an infield error by MTCS.

Regaining lead

Daughrity laid down a bunt back to the mound, and the throw to get the Rockets' pitcher sailed into the right field corner as both runners scored, making it a 5-4 ballgame.

Brewer followed with a frozen rope over the center fielder's head that one-hopped over the fence for the game tying RBI ground-rule double.

Howard got out the jam on a grounder to second and a pop-up to first, sending the contest to the seventh inning.

Lucas Smith walked to get the inning started for MTCS and Melton sacrificed Smith to second.

Gibson drilled an RBI base hit to center, scoring Smith with the go-ahead run before back-to-back errors on Forrest made it a 7-5 ballgame.

Rockets pay

Winn made the Rockets pay some more, drilling a two-run double to right field, extending the Cougars' lead to 9-5.

Forrest had just three hits in the contest with Brewer and Harber getting one apiece and the final base knock came via a pinch-hit single by Blake Leonard with one out in the bottom of the seventh before the game ended on a grounder to short and a fly ball to left.

"We gotta tough stretch coming up," said Parker. "You have to try to win those district ballgames that are all battles and fights and give yourself a high seed, going into the tournament. Tomorrow we will go back to practice and the drawing board to try to get better and take each game, a game at a time."