By Kevin Eckleberry

Sports Editor

The Troup Tigers were unable to pull off a three-peat.

Having beaten the powerful Columbus Blue Devils at their home ballpark the past two seasons, the Tigers were hoping to make it three in a row on Saturday.

And things looked promising for awhile, with the Tigers taking a 2-0 lead through four innings behind the pitching of Brad Bartlett.

The Blue Devils (11-1) came to life in the fifth inning, though, with Brice Dial delivering a grand slam to make it a 4-2 game.

Columbus, which hasn’t lost since a season-opening setback to Harris County, went on to claim an 8-2 Region 2-AAA victory.

The Tigers were playing short-handed Saturday, with three starting infielders out, and head coach Craig Garner felt the “lack of depth” hurt.

Still, the coach believed his team would have “won the game” if it could have escaped the fifth with the lead in tact.

The bases were loaded with one out when Garner pulled Bartlett in favor of Brian Alder.

Alder got ahead of Dial 0-2, but the senior powered the next pitch over the right-field fence for the go-ahead homer

Alder gave up a single to the next batter, but he got the next two outs to keep the deficit at two.

Columbus added three more runs in the sixth, with Travis Benn knocking in one run with an RBI double.

Dial’s RBI infield single in the seventh capped the scoring.

Troup scored both of its runs in the first inning, with Blake Barber driving in the first run with a double.

Barber later scored on an error to give the Tigers a 2-0 lead.

Troup only had two hits the rest of the way, though.

Luke Bailey had a single in the third inning, and Bartlett had a double in the seventh.

Matt Taylor pitched six strong innings to get the win.

Also on Saturday, Troup hosted Carver, and the Tigers needed just three innings to earn the region win.

Cole Simms pitched three innings and allowed just one hit to get the victory.

Barber hit for the cycle to lead the Tigers’ offensive effort, and Eric Escobedo and Bailey each had three-run home runs.

Troup will host Coral Gables (Fla.) on Monday at 5:30 p.m.