Looking to close out the month of March on a winning note, Bryce Gehlert’s Belle Tiger baseball team hosted Iberia’s Rangers trying to move above the .500 mark on the season.

Scoreless after four innings, Belle took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fifth inning on a Ryder Butler singled and scored on a RBI sacrifice fly off the bat of Chase Trainor.

Seeing Iberia answer with three runs on four hits and a walk, Belle entered a do-or-die bottom of the seventh trailing 3-1.

Hit by a pitch with two outs, Butler brought the tying run to the plate before the game ended on a fly out to right field dropping Belle’s record to 3-4 after a 3-1 loss to the visiting Rangers.

“We played defense and pitched it well against the Rangers,” Gehlert said. “Unfortunately our bats went cold and it is hard to win games when we only have two hits.”

Prior to Belle scoring their lone run of the game, Lathan Miller became the first base runner for the Tigers against Iberia drawing a leadoff walk in the bottom of the third inning.

Looking to help his own cause, starting pitcher Hank Stratman singled to right field before stealing second and third base.

He was left stranded after an inning-ending ground out.

Stratman ultimately took the tough luck loss pitching all seven innings allowing three runs on four hits and four walks to go with eight strikeouts.

Five games will await the Tigers over the coming week with four of those inside the friendly confines of Tiger Field.

Hosting Fatima’s Comets last night (Tuesday) with huge district implications at stake, Belle will then return to Gasconade Valley Conference (GVC) play hosting Bourbon’s Warhawks tomorrow (Thursday) at 4:30 p.m.

Tiger Field will also host one half of pool play for the upcoming Linn Baseball Tournament on Friday, April 11 with Cuba’s Wildcats and Hermann’s Bearcats coming to Maries County.

Diamond action will kick off Friday morning Belle facing Cuba at 9 a.m., followed by a Highway 19 cat fight at high noon between Hermann and Cuba before pool play concludes at approximately 2:30 p.m., with Belle taking on Hermann.

Results from Friday’s pool contests will determine who the Tigers play in Linn on Saturday.

Mother Nature also prevailed last week with Wednesday rain causing Belle’s scheduled Highway 28 contest against Dixon’s Bulldogs scheduled for last Thursday at Tiger Field to be postponed due to wet field conditions.

A reschedule date for that contest was not available at press time.