By Bobby Allen

SDN Sports Editor

MERKEL -- The Snyder Tigers dropped their first district game of the season Tuesday, committing four errors and spotting Merkel a 5-0 lead in an 8-6 loss.

The teams stayed scoreless through the first three innings, with Snyder starter Ty Collier and Badgers hurler Sammy Prieto each retiring 10 of the first 12 batters they faced, striking out two of three in the third.

Merkel (9-9, 4-4) broke through in the fourth inning thanks to some uncharacteristic defensive breakdowns for Snyder (17-4, 7-1).

“Just like last year, this was a tough field for us to play on. We had a couple of breakdowns, but one loss doesn’t bring our season down,” head coach Charles Bollinger said. “Hopefully, we can learn some things from this and come out and be in playoff mode from here on out.”

The Tigers threw away a chance at double play on a bunt and gave up an RBI bunt hit, allowing Merkel to plate five in the fourth.

The Tigers responded with four in the top of the fifth.

Lico Castillo hammered a bases-loaded triple to right field, to score three and Isaac Ramon drilled an RBI single in the inning.

Merkel added two more unearned runs in its half of the fifth, and the Tigers put up two in the top of the sixth, with Blake Grimmett hitting an RBI double and Bradley Price driving in a run with a sacrifice fly.

Merkel added another run in the bottom of the sixth to make it 8-6, when the Tigers made it interesting by loading the bases with two outs in the seventh, but did not score.

Bollinger was heartened by the way the team responded at the end.

“I think it kind of shows what kind of a team we have,” he said. “As bad as we played, we put ourselves in position to win it. We just have to work harder.”

The loss dropped the Tigers into a first place tie with Sweetwater, which hammered Lamesa, 25-5.

Both Snyder and Sweetwater have clinched a playoff spot. Seminole stayed a game up on Merkel in the race for the last playoff berth, cruising past Denver City, 12-3.

Snyder will take on Seminole at 7 p.m. Friday at Moffett Field.