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Red Raiders Roll Past Wildcats in District Opener
by Mike McGee [Photos]
Chance Banks trots home after blasting a solo homer in the second inning of Tuesday night game.

  MANCHESTER---Chance Banks led off the top of the second inning with a blast over the center field fence to give the Tullahoma Wildcats a 1-0 lead over Coffee County’s Red Raiders in their district opener Tuesday night, but it was all Coffee County after that as the Raider rolled to an 11-1, five-inning win.
  
The Wildcats had five hits on the night, three of them in the second inning, but they were victimized by three Raider double plays and had a runner thrown out trying to steal. Tullahoma’s night could be summed up by what happened in the fourth inning when Coffee County was already on top 8-1. Three straight walks loaded the bases with no outs, but a strike out and a rare 5-3-2 double play ended the inning without a Wildcat runner scoring.
  
The Raiders also escaped a third inning jam with a sparkling defensive play. After Will Green walked and Justin Brewer singled to put runners at first and second with no outs, Chad Fuhrman blistered a line drive to the shortstop who made a quick throw to second for the double play. The next batter struck out, leaving the Cats with nothing to show for their promising beginning.
  
After falling behind 1-0 in the second, Coffee County quickly rallied in the bottom of the inning with three hits, a walk and an error on what would have been the third out after the first two runs had scored. Starting pitcher Phillip Heikkinen was replaced on the mound by Bryant Prater with four runs in and two more runners on base. A base hit to center scored one of those, making it 5-1.