There were Tigers all over the diamond Friday night when the 5-0 Blue Ridge Tigers hosted the 5-0 Bland Tigers in a battle to decide who would sit in the driver's seat in this hotly contested district race.

Blue Ridge set the tone early, scoring five runs in the bottom of the first inning and sending three more runners racing home in the second stanza to take a commanding 8-0 lead.

Bland managed a lone run in the top of the fourth frame, but Blue Ridge tacked on three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to register an 11-1 victory.

McKinney got the win for Blue Ridge, only allowing four hits.

Bland's Trevor Spillman was tagged with the loss by a hard-hitting Blue Ridge squad that pounded out 11 hits.

Bland is now 6-3 on the year and 5-1 in district action.

Blue Ridge is alone in first place with an unblemished 6-0 mark.

Bland will look to bounce back into the win column when they host Celeste on Tuesday, April 7 at 4:30.

Bland Offense: 

Tyler Oakley:                (1-3) 2B

Trevor Spillman:           (0-3)

Austin NeSmith:           (1-3) 1B

Michael Day:                (0-2)

Cory Shinn:                  (0-1) HBP

Dylan Groves:              (1-2) 1B

Ty Phipps:                    (0-2)

Taylor Sharkey:            (1-2) 1B, RBI

Dalton Holland:            (0-2)

Photos by Jon Marie Russman