Tucker’s Jake Lovvorn (15) had 8 strikeouts and a solo homer to lead the Tigers to a 6-5 Region 2-6A victory over the Lakeside Vikings. (Photo by Mark Brock)

The first game of a crucial Region 2-6A three-game series between the Tucker Tigers and Lakeside Vikings went to Tucker via a 6-5 victory at Lakeside on Tuesday.

The Tigers and pitcher Jake Lovvorn seemed poised to close out the win easily after picking up two big insurance runs in the top of the seventh inning. The two runs were keyed by a Julian Sewell RBI single to right to take a 6-3 lead with Lakeside coming to bat in the bottom half of the inning.

Lovvorn who threw over 100 pitches in the game had eight strike outs, including two to end the Vikings’ bottom half of the sixth inning.

The Vikings who rallied for a big win in the seventh inning against Rockdale County last week would not go down easily as Grant Gibbons singled to right to start the inning and Weston Warncke’s slow roller down the third base line put two runners on with no outs against Lovvorn in the bottom of the seventh.

Jonathan Cooper’s bunt moved the runners up to second and third with one out and Lovvorn came back to get an infield fly for the second out. Both runners would come around to score as a pair of pitches got away from the Tiger catcher allowing the Vikings to pull within 6-5 with two out.

Lakeside’s Will Cosby had a big role in the Vikings’ rally attempt against Tucker. (Photo by Mark Brock)

Will Cosby came to the plate for Lakeside already having a double, sac fly and two runs scored. He battled Lovvorn who finally got Cosby to ground to second, but a bobble of the ball allowed Cosby to beat out the throw. Darius Sewell followed with a single to right and moved up on the throw towards third as Cosby cruised in to put runners at second and third with two outs.

The Tigers intentionally walked Drew Hinton to load the bases to bring Garrett Bowden to the plate. Bowden worked the count full and fouled off three pitches as he and Lovvorn dueled with the game on the line. Bowden put the ball in play up the middle on the ninth pitch, but the Tiger shortstop (Sewell) fielded the ball and got the out at first to end the game.

The two teams were tied at 1-1 going into the top of the second when Trey Flowers doubled and later scored to give the Tigers the lead for good at 2-1.

Tucker was still up 2-1 going into the top of fourth when a pair of Viking errors brought Flowers to the plate and he delivered his second double of the game to plate Jonathan Beaver to give Tucker a 3-1 lead.

Lovvorn aided his own cause in the fifth with a line-drive solo homer over the center field fence for a 4-1 lead before the Vikings would rally to within 4-3.

Cosby’s sacrifice fly scored Cooper and a throwing error to third allowed Jaret Barr to score to trim the lead to one.

Tucker is now 14-5 overall and 9-1 in region play while Lakeside is 20-4 overall and 11-2 in the region. The two teams are set for 5:00 pm games today (Wednesday) and Thursday to wind of the three game series.