By Caleb Adams

Leader Correspondent

 

LITTLE CYPRESS — In a wild affair, the Little Cypress-Mauriceville Bears outlasted the Orangefield Bobcats in a 16-10 slugfest in District 22-4A action at Gibbens Field Tuesday night.

The Bobcats (15-3-1, 4-1) entered play with possession of first place in the district, but the Bears (22-4, 4-1) were hot on their heels after coming off a back and forth series with the Cardinals of Bridge City. Those three squads seem to be the ones fighting for that first-place spot heading into playoffs.

It was the Bears that got it done Tuesday as they, along with Orangefield and Bridge City, a 6-0 winner over WO-S Tuesday, are all knotted up at the top halfway through the 22-4A race.

Both teams were hitting like their lives depended on it during this game, and kept it close throughout. The teams traded leads just about every inning, raking up the hits on either side. Pitching was a commodity that neither team could find, But LC-M got some nice outs late to turn back the Bobcats.

Neither team had good pitching throughout the game, giving up countless walks and unearned runs on both sides, the winner would be the team to take advantage of the most miscues by the other.

Orangefield took a running start in the first inning. Kent Michael, who had five RBI for the night, knocked in Johnny Armstrong, who reached on a walk, to get the Bobcats rolling early. That’s all the Bobcats could grab in the inning, but they took an early 1-0 lead heading to the bottom of the first.

Michael came through again in the top of the second with another single to drive in Gunner Jones with the bases loaded. The next batter, Brett Fregia, would bring in the second run with a long sac fly to right, knocking in Jacob Harvey as the. Bobcats took a 3-0 lead after two innings.

The Bears struck back in the bottom of the second, and showed life offensively. Slade Green was driven in by Taylor Gilbert on a sac fly to right. Chris Bilbo would knock in Anthony Bandiero for the second run of the inning, on a hard single to the outfield. Micheal Lee would get walked with the bases loaded to even the game up at three apiece. Truman Franklin has a hard single to right, driving in two more runs to give the Bears a lead at 5-3 after two innings of play.

The Bobcats returned the favor in the next inning, keeping up the all-hitting trend in the game. Jones knocks in Mason Gonzalez with a sac .The next run came from Blake Bradley stealing home on a pick off attempt from the Bears, tying the game up at five all. Ryan Deutsch would get brought home after a bases loaded walk from the Bears, as the Bobcats took a 6-5 lead after five innings. The two squads just kept trading hits and runs back and forth, showing off their strength.

The Bears tied it up again with a sac fly knock in the bottom of the third inning. John Beeson knocked in Bilbo to knot it up at 6-6.

The hits don’t stop, as the Bobcats scored more runs in the fourth. Mason Gonzalez launched one to way deep left for a solo homerun to lead off the fourth inning to give the Bobcats the lead again. They grabbed another run off of an Armstrong single to bring in Jones for the eighth run of the game for Orangefield.

The inning doesn’t stop, as Michael grabbed his third hit and two more RBI’s with a hard single, driving in Deutsch and Jacob Harvey to make it 10-6 in the top of the fourth.

LC-M snared a gift run after four straight walk from the Bobcats, in the bottom of the fourth. Bilbo would knock in the next two runs with a single to left-center, quickly catching back up to the Bobcats at 10-9 now. Beeson knocked in the tying run, Gilbert, to bring it to 10-10 with another chance to take the lead. The very next batter, Jordan Alexander, knocked in Max Dileo to give the Bears the lead for good at 11-10.

The Bears extend their lead in the bottom of the fifth, thanks to a Franklin single and Lee scoring on an error after the hit. LCM found another run thanks to a sac fly from Bilbo to drive in Franklin on third base giving the Bears a 13-10 edge as the hits kept on coming.

LC-M scores again through Raegan Burdette’s bunt to bring in John Beeson from third base, who reached on a walk. Franklin would drive in Alexander for another run, and Green would drive in Joseph Moore on the next at-bat as the Bears headed to the final inning with a 16-10 lead.

The Bears ended the game shutting out the Bobcats in the last three innings in what was a wild but very competitive battle.

The two teams will hook up again Friday when the Bears visit the Bobcats.