Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By Caleb Adams

Orange Leader

WEST ORANGE – The Orangefield Bobcats tied the Hardin-Jefferson Hawks 7-7 in West Orange on Saturday in the Certa-Bearden Tournament. The game would go back and forth up until the final pitch, a real thriller from start to finish.

The Bobcats found the game’s first run with no outs and great team hitting. Tyler Washington led off with a walk, followed by a single from Tyler Shearin and then a bunt single from Kameryn Henderson to load the bases with no outs. Logan Gipson would deliver a hard liner through the infield to score Washington from third base.

Gunner Jones would follow up with a hard double to left field, driving in both Henderson and Shearin from second and third base. Two more runs would score off a Hawk fielding error, bringing in Jones and and Ryan Trahan, who reached on a fielder’s choice. Bobcats found five runs in the bottom of the first inning to jump out to an early 5-0 lead over the Hawks.

The Hawks got a run back thanks to a wild pitch from the Bobcats. Wyatt Smith would lead off with a walk and get pushed around to third thanks to a sacrifice bunt and a fielder’s choice. During the next at bat an offspeed pitch doesn’t find it’s spot and it went to the backstop and Smith came in for the score. Hawks still trailed the Bobcats 5-1 after the top half of the second inning is done.

The Hawks struck back in the top of the third inning, bringing the game back into reach. Hunter Fontenot and Landon Mcleod led off with singles and Pomirko gets on with a single to load the bases. Kevin Borque would smack a double to bring in Mcleod and Fontenot and put runners on second and third. Max Brown would drive in the next run with a grounder and Wyatt Smith would hit a sacrifice fly to tie the game up. The Hawks brought it back to 5-5 heading into the bottom of the third inning.

The Bobcats took the lead back in the bottom of the third inning. Jones led off with a double and is moved over to third after a passed ball. Bryce Bergeron brought in Jones with a grounder in the infield. Bobcats led 6-5 after three complete innings.

The lead changed again, this time in favor of the Hawks. Max Brown knocked in Borque and Mcleod, who reached on an error and a walk. That’s all they would find, but the Hawks lead 7-6 heading into the bottom of the fifth inning.

The Bobcats tied it up in the bottom of the sixth inning. Marze walked to lead off the inning, a couple bunts would bring him over to third base and a hard single from Henderson would drive in Marze.

The time limit for the game would come into effect and the ball game ends in a tie 7-7.