The 3-1 Demopolis High Tigers used their hard-hitting bats to get two big wins Saturday, beating the 6A Stanhope-Elmore Mustangs 6-2 and the 6A Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa Patriots 11-1 for their home opener.

The bats were in full swing on Saturday for the Tigers as they collected a total of 17 runs on 17 hits for the day while committing no errors in either game against the tough 6A opponents.

“It was a really good day for us with two big wins,” DHS head coach James Moody said. “I was very pleased with our performance on Saturday. We didn’t beat ourselves.”

The Tigers were able to keep the Mustangs in the stables in game one with an outstanding defensive performance. But it was the Tigers’ bats that broke the wild Mustangs, as they collected six runs on seven hits.

Tiger first baseman William Meador went 1-for-3 with 2 RBI’s against the Mustangs, while outfielder Chad Schroeder, catcher Clark Kirby and outfielder Colby Roberts added to the mix with one hit apiece.

Junior pitcher Bart Pettus (2-0) picked up the win for the Tigers, going seven innings on 3K’s while giving up seven hits, two earned runs and no walks. Pettus not only had a strong showing on the mound but also at the plate Saturday, as he went 3-for-3 with 2 RBI’s against the Mustangs and 3-for-4 with the stick against the Patriots in game two.

The Tigers’ hitting streak continued in their second game of the day against the Patriots of Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa as the Tigers managed 11 runs on 10 hits to 10-run rule the Patriots 11-1 in six innings.

Along with Pettus, who was 3-of-4 against the Patriots was Seth Basinger with two hits and Chad Schroeder with two hits. Tigers’ Bryan Padilla, Blake Butler and Jonathan Sommers also looked impressive at the plate against the Patriots with one hit apiece.

“The key to that game was our performance in the top of the fifth inning,” Moody said.

The Tigers entered the fifth inning tied 1-1, but soon found themselves in a bit of pickle, as the Patriots quickly gathered 2 hits off of junior pitcher Devin Goodwin.

With one out and runners on first and second, the Patriots were only one hit away from taking a comfortable 3-1 lead over the Tigers. But the Tigers made their stand and forced the next two Patriots to ground out. The Tigers then responded to the Patriot’s 2-hit run with an impressive 7-hit run of their own that left them with a controlling 9-1 lead.

“It was great to see us respond to their run with one of our own,” Moody said. “To me, that’s the sign of a good baseball team.”

Goodwin gets the win, going six innings and collecting five K’s, while giving up three hits, one walk and one earned run as the Tigers improve to 3-1 on the season. There will be plenty more 6A opponents for the Tigers to whip up on this weekend as they travel to Theodore for the South Mobile Baseball Classic.

The Tigers will tangle with 3A Lauderdale County at 7 p.m. Friday and 6A Alma Bryant at noon Saturday in Bayou La Batre.