EXCELSIOR SPRINGS – The Tigers opened the varsity baseball season with a few additional home games, thanks in part to their new synthetic turf field. Originally, the Tigers were scheduled for a triangular hosted by Mexico, but they played the March 19 games in Excelsior Springs instead, falling to Mexico and Marshfield. Mexico took the lead early and held on late with a 4-2 win in the first game. Pitcher Lucas Dillman took the loss. The Tigers fell behind early against Marshfield and fought their way back late. But they could not produce timely hitting and fell 6-4. The Tigers then went 3-1 in their own tournament, which ran March 21-25. Excelsior Springs opened March 21 with an 11-6 comeback victory against Winnetonka. Junior Mason Danner started on the mound, but he struggled finding the strike zone in the second inning and was replaced by sophomore Brayden Lewis. Wet, rainy conditions favored Excelsior Springs in the ...