Spangdahlem Sentinels senior Ryan Roe pitches during the first game of a doubleheader against the Hohenfels Tigers on May 9, 2026. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)
HOHENFELS, Germany – In sports such as baseball, a one-run victory counts just as much as a 20-run blowout.
And that’s how it went down Saturday at Hohenfels.
Spangdahlem senior Ryan Roe threw his second no-hitter of the season in a 20-0 win to open the doubleheader. But the host Tigers held on for a 5-4 victory in the second game.
With Roe locked in on the mound and the infield backing him up whenever the Tigers managed to make contact, the opener quickly turned lopsided.
“I’m only as good as I can tell myself I am. So, if I tell myself I’m the best pitcher, then I see that and I’ll feel that, and … I’ll dominate,” Roe said after the first game.
On top of his dominant outing on the mound, Roe drove in three runs. Two teammates joined him in that feat, including Landon Beach — a player Roe expects will fill his shoes after graduation.
In the opposite dugout, the Tigers had no intention of letting the Sentinels get comfortable as coach Chris Peuleke prepared his own strategy.
“The first game we were trying to experiment a little bit with some pitchers and give them some game time,” Peuleke said.
Spangdahlem’s Landon Beach steps up to bat against the Hohenfels Tigers during the first game of a doubleheader on May 9, 2026. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)
Hohenfels Tigers senior Bronson Jackson pitches against the Spangdahlem Sentinels during the second game of a doubleheader on May 9, 2026. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)
The Hohenfels Tigers celebrate after a successful inning during the second game of a doubleheader against the Spangdahlem Sentinels on May 9, 2026. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)
Hohenfels’ Alex Raagas calls timeout after sliding safely into third base during a steal attempt against the Spangdahlem Sentinels on May 9, 2026. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)
Kyrin Smith steps up to bat against the Spangdahlem Sentinels during a doubleheader on May 9, 2026. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)
Hohenfels first baseman Cory Taylor and the Hohenfels Tigers hosted the Spangdahlem Sentinels in a doubleheader on May 9, 2026. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)
“Focus and forget” was the mindset for the Tigers as junior Bronson Jackson took the mound in the second game.
“We lost the (first) game by a lot, so I had to do it for my team,” Jackson said. “I went in and I didn’t (back) down.”
Despite some fatigue from catching the first game, Jackson immediately set the tone for Hohenfels, striking out the first three Sentinels he faced.
His impact carried over to offense as well. Jackson and teammate Cory Taylor each scored in the second on pitches that slipped past the Sentinels catcher, putting Hohenfels on the scoreboard for the first time all day.
That prompted a response from Sentinels coach Mario DeRose.
“You don’t give up after a little bit of resistance,” DeRose told his squad in the dugout.
The Tigers kept the Sentinels off the scoreboard for several innings — a sharp contrast from the earlier matchup — but when Jackson moved from the mound back behind the plate, Spangdahlem chipped away at the deficit.
With the umpire announcing 5 minutes remaining, DeRose made a strategic decision to force a final out by sending a runner home to get tagged out.
The move allowed Spangdahlem — the designated home team in the second game — to get another at bat in the bottom of the next inning with its strongest three batters due up.
“They taught me some time management,” Peuleke said of the Sentinels decision. “How to get an out on purpose to extend the game so they have a better chance with the top of their lineup. I didn’t see that coming.”
The strategy almost paid off. Spangdahlem loaded the bases. But the Tigers coaxed a groundout to end the game.
Peuleke said he was proud of his young squad for bouncing back with the redemption victory, but noted the Tigers still have room to improve.
“Nobody’s going to throw all strikes,” he said, adding that the team needs better defensive support behind its pitchers to ease pressure on the mound.
