Mustangs on top in baseball, Lady Cards lead standings in softball

Orangefield Bobcat slugger Brett Fregia rips a pitch against the Bridge City Cardinals in district action on Friday. This Friday the Bobcats travel to Silsbee to take on the Tigers. RECORD PHOTO: Mark Dunn

Local baseball and softball teams continue to jockey for position in district standings as teams hit their stride this spring.

The West Orange-Stark Mustangs continue to roll right along and look to have found their place in District 24-4A baseball following this past weekend's victory over the LC-M Bears, 4-3, behind the arm of pitcher Payton Robertson. The Mustangs are looking to show their trip to the Class 4-A state championship in 2015 was no fluke and their victory of the Bridge City Cardinals this past week, in Bridge City, was evidence of their determination.

The Mustangs moved up to number 15 in the Texas High School Baseball poll and are 5-0 and sit at the top of the standings in District 24-4A, as they prepare to take on Silsbee on Tuesday evening in West Orange. The loss drops LC-M to 1-4 in district as the Bears travel to Orangefield to face the Bobcats on Tuesday night.

The Orangefield Bobcats split games this past week in District 24-4A action.

Orangefield traveled to Fannett on Tuesday, March 29 and trounced the Hamshire-Fannett Longhorns, 11-2. The Bobcats held the Longhorns to just five hits in the game thanks to pitcher Dylan Anthony's solid performance.

However, the Bobcats ran into a steamroller in Bridge City this past Friday as the Cardinals prevailed 9-2, which leaves Orangefield at 2-3 in district play heading into Tuesday's game against the LC-M Bears.

Bridge City, which suffered its first loss in District 24-4A action to West Orange-Stark on Tuesday, March 29, regained its form this past Friday by defeating the Bobcats in Orangefield.

Pitcher Tanner Doiron held the Bobcats in check most of the evening as he struck out 10 batters, while only allowing five hits. Meanwhile, the Cardinal batters accrued eight hits on the night on the way to a 9-2 victory. Bridge City is one game behind the Mustangs in district action at 4-1 and are number 16 in the state in the latest Texas High School Baseball poll.

In softball, the Bridge City Lady Cardinals keep finding ways to win. The Lady Cardinals are currently ranked number 3 in the latest state softball poll, needed extra innings this past Friday to beat the Lady Bobcats, 7-6. The Lady Cardinals improved to 7-0 in district play and travel to Hamshire-Fannett on Tuesday night, April 5, and are off on Friday, April 8.

The Orangefield Lady Bobcats are 3-4 in the district standings and will host the Lady Bears of Little Cypress-Mauriceville on Tuesday evening (April 5) and travel to Silsbee on Friday, April 8.

The LC-M Lady Bears improved its District 24-4A record by defeating the West Orange-Stark Lady Mustangs, 14-2, behind a solid pitching performance from Brianna Renzel and the hitting of Kayla Manuel, who was 3-3 at the plate and had four RBI's.

The Lady Bears are now 4-3 in district play and travel to Orangefield (3-4) on Tuesday night, April 5, and will host Hamshire-Fannett on Friday, April 8.

The West Orange-Stark Lady Mustangs dropped both games this past week, including this past Friday's 14-2 loss to LC-M, and fell to 0-7 in District 24-4A. The Lady Mustangs will host the Silsbee Lady Tigers on Tuesday and travel to Sour Lake on Friday, April 8, to face the Hardin-Jefferson Lady Hawks.