CHS senior Gabriel Rangel. [Photo by Richard Marion/Lake Okeechobee News]

CLEWISTON- The Clewiston High School Tigers varsity baseball team managed to hold off a late rally by the Okeechobee Brahmans to secure a 3-2 victory on Feb. 28.

The win moves the Tigers to 2-0 this year after they previously  took a commanding 11-1 victory over East Lee County in the season opener. CHS senior Brastyn Ballard led the Tigers with one hit while  OHS senior Jayce Markham had two hits for the Brahmans.

East Lee got on the board early in the first inning, and that’d would also be the last time. The Tiger defense shut out East Lee for the remainder of the game. Clewiston sophomore Cayson Holman led the Tigers on offense with three hits and two RBIs in a big 6-run inning by Clewistion that helped them run away with the game.

Clewiston is coming off a 7-14 record in the regular season last year that saw them come within one run of advancing to the district championship. The Tigers fell to the Saint Anderw’s Scots 3-2 in last season’s district semifinal.

The Tigers saw four team leader’s play their last game with the program last year, seniors Connor Swindle, Samuel McDuffie, Fabian Villagomez, and Easton Bellew. But the underclassmen in the program have stepped up early in their new season. Senior Gaberial Rangel’s ERA of 1.11 is currently ranked third in Clewiston’s district. And CHS sophomore's Cayson Holman, and Christopher Guerra are ranked second and third in the district for bases stolen.

The Tigers will be back on on March 9 to host the Sebring Blue Streaks starting at 7 p.m.