By Bobby Allen

SDN Sports Editor

Everyone expected an exciting game, but no one expected this outcome.

No one, that is, except the Tigers.

Snyder (15-3, 5-0) touched Sweetwater ace Reid Bishop for seven second-inning runs, winning a battle of unbeatens and grabbing sole possession of first place with a 12-2, six-inning win.

“I knew we could do this,” said Blake Grimmett, who drove in the final runs with a two-run single in the bottom of the sixth. “I always said we could 10-run them, everything just clicked.”

Head coach Charles Bollinger was equally confident going into Friday’s showdown.

“We can play with anybody,” he said. “After this game, maybe they realize that.”

After a scoreless first inning, the Tigers rattled Bishop and the Mustangs in the second.

Eric Martinez hit a long home run to left to start the offensive barrage.

Marcus Rodriguez reached on a single and broke up a double play with a hard slide on a fielder’s choice by Marcus Villarreal.

After a Grimmett single, Villarreal stole third and Bradley Price followed with a two-out, RBI base knock. Jordan Dea was hit by a pitch to load the bases and Bishop walked Isaac Ramon to make it 3-0.

Alex Neal made it 5-0 on a two-run single, and Hadley Hirt reached on an error to score Neal.

Ramon came around to score on a wild pitch to Martinez to close out the scoring in the inning, giving Snyder a 7-0 edge.

“We wanted it real bad,” said Martinez. “It was nice to get it started, and then we just never stopped.”

The lead was all Snyder stopper Ty Collier (3-2) needed. Collier went the distance, striking out seven and allowing seven hits.

Marcus Rodriguez led off the third with a double, as Snyder added two in the inning on RBI singles by Price and Dea.

Rodriguez got a rare opportunity at the plate Friday, taking advantage with a 3-for-3 night with two runs scored.

Bollinger said Collier requested to be hit for to help his concentration on the mound, setting the stage for a breakout night at the plate for the Tiger shortstop.

“Marcus was swinging the bat well in practice,” he said. “I couldn’t be any more proud of a kid. It’s got to be a great confidence builder for him.”

After Sweetwater (15-4, 4-1) put up two runs in the top of the fifth, Snyder responded with a run in the bottom half of the frame, and clinched it with two in the sixth on the 10-run mercy rule.

With two out and nobody on in the sixth, Rodriguez cracked a single and Villarreal followed with another single to put runners on first and second.

Grimmett then finished it off with a base hit in the left centerfield gap.

The Mustangs went into the game ranked ninth in the state, but Bishop was hit hard all night and was distracted by the Tigers’ aggressiveness on the base paths.

“They are a good team, but we put pressure on them with our base running,” Bollinger said. “Our guys did everything well tonight.”

Grimmett and Price both went 3-for-3, as Grimmett drove in three runs and Price scored three times and laid down a sacrifice bunt.

Neal had a pair of hits and two RBIs, Villarreal scored twice in going 2-for-4, and Ramon and Dea each had a hit and an RBI. Dea also was hit by a pitch in his first two at bats.

Grimmett said the win was something he has been waiting for since he was in grade school.

He said this was the best game the Tigers have played this season, because of the opponent.

“It is because it’s Sweetwater,” he said. “When we play them, you can throw out the rankings -- they don’t matter.”

Bollinger said that as important as this game was, the Tigers should not lose focus on the four games while awaiting the April 27 rematch with the Mustangs.

“We still have to take it one game at a time -- we can’t take anything for granted,” he said. “We keep getting better. I’m proud of the way these guys are molding together as a team.”

The Tigers play four of their last five games on the road, and open the second-half of the district schedule at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday at Lamesa.