The Record Newspapers - Hometown News For Orange County, Texas

Three of Orange County’s heavy hitters will be advancing in the state baseball and softball championships this week. The Bridge City Cardinals and Lady Cardinals along with the West Orange-Stark Mustangs all go to the next level after taking out opponest in post season action.

The Bridge City Lady Cardinals (24-4) advance to the Region III quarterfinal round of the softball playoffs after using all three games in the series to break down the Caldwell Lady Hornets on Saturday. The Lady Cards lost 4-3 in Game One after 11 gruelling innings but came back to tie the series in Game Two, 9-5, and finsihed off Caldwell in Game Three, 2-1, after pulling ahead in the seventh inning.

The Dist. 24-4A Champion Lady Cardinals now enter another three game series against the Hargrave-Huffman Lady Falcons beginning Thursday at PA Memorial at 5 p.m. Game Two is scheduled for Saturday at Barbers Hill High School at 11 p.m. and Game Three, if needed, will begin 30 minutes after Game Two.

The Bridge City Cardinal (16-7) baseball team ripped into the 2015 playoffs by sweeping the three game series against the Coldspring Trojans. On Friday ‘Big Red’ downed the Trojans 14-0 with Cardinal ace Chase Shugart on the hill. Shugart went the distance with a no hitter and added two homeruns at bat before the Cardinals called it a night. On Saturday the Cardinals polished off Coldspring, 10-2, with right hander Kyle Bergeron pitching. Shugart added another homerun to help propel Bridge City to the Region III area round.

The Dist. 24-4A Champion Cardinals (16-7) now face the Giddings Buffaloes (15-5-2) in a one game winner-take-all on Friday at Kingwood High School. Game time is 8 p.m.

The West Orange-Stark Mustangs made quick work of the Splendora Wildcats sweeping their bi-district duel with 9-2 victory in Game One on Friday with Grant Anderson pitching. On Saturday the Mustangs beat the Wildcats 13-2 with Aidan Anderson pitching the first three innings before Jack Dallas took-over. Grant Anderson’s third inning 3-run homer capped off a 10-run first inning for the Mustangs.

The Mustangs (18-2) now face the Navasota Rattlers (14-7) in the Region III area round starting Thursday at Barbers Hill High School at 7 p.m. The series continues on Friday with Game Two beginning at 5 p.m., and Game Three if needed to follow.

The Bridge City Cardinals are: seniors; Ryne Shugart, Blake Pruett, Logan New, Blaine Slaughter, Jonah Watts, Chase Shugart and Corbin Voegeli. Juniors: Riley Harris, Bradley Thibodaux, Lane Ashworth, Tyler Bouget, Derick Dearing, Tod McDowell, Chaston Miller, Kade Wheat and Kyle Bergeron. Sophomores: Byron Trahan and Kevin Gordon. Freshmen on the team are: Schuyler Thibodaux, Justyn Romero and Caleb Dubois.

The West Orange-Stark Mustangs are: seniors; Grant Anderson, Kalen Garrett, Darren Blagburn, Grant Lapoint-Teate, Jermaine Mitchell, Miguel Gobert, Aaron Blagburn, Aidan Anderson, Austynn Wolfford and Chase Rutledge. Juniors: Payton Robertson; Sophomores: Jack Dallas, Ryan Ragsdale and K.J. Miller and, Freshman Chad Dallas.

Photo above right - Bridge City’s Kyle Bergeron is on the hill in Game Two against Coldspring. The Cardinals defeated the Trojans 14-0 and 10-2 to advance to the area round against Giddings on Friday.

RECORD PHOTO: Mark Dunn