Matt Vines

LIVINGSTON – The Red River baseball team battled early Thursday in both games against Doyle, but big innings sunk the Bulldogs in the first-round playoff series.

No. 10 seed Doyle put together prolific innings in wins of 11-1 and 11-1 to end No. 23 seed Red River’s season.

Red River (14-18) struck first in the opening game when Hunter Tingle singled in a run in the first inning. The Bulldogs loaded the bases with their first three batters on an Eli Murphy single, an error and a John Dickey walk.

But Doyle pitcher Parker Taylor struck out the next two batters with the bases loaded, and the threat ended with a ground out.

Taylor scattered six hits and two walks in the five-inning complete game.

Red River pitcher Aston Hester cruised through the first three innings before Doyle hung nine runs in the fourth.

Hester danced around three base runners in the first three innings, but Doyle’s big fourth inning blew the game open.

Doyle (20-14) tied the game by starting the fourth inning with a pair of singles and an error with a bases-loaded walk bringing across the first run.

Reese Jones drove in two more runs for a 3-1 lead before a Tate Albin grand slam put the Tigers up 7-1. Doyle added another pair of runs in the inning for a 9-1 edge.

In the second game, Doyle took an early 1-0 lead in the second inning before Red River answered in the bottom of the frame.

Nolan Moore singled in Hester to tie the game 1-1 in the second inning.

Doyle scored three runs in the fourth inning before adding a combined five runs in the fifth and sixth innings.

Murphy got the start on the mound, allowing six runs on eight hits and seven walks in 5 1-3 innings.

Overall in the doubleheader, Murphy and Hester had three hits each to lead the offense.

Doyle eliminated Red River from the playoffs for the second consecutive season after the Tigers won a three-game set in the 2024 quarterfinals.