Certa Bearden Tournament featured three local teams

The annual Certa-Bearden WOS Classic was held February 29 through March 2 at West Orange-Stark. This year the baseball tournament was held in conjunction with a tournament by Kelly Catholic High School in Beaumont with several of the 12 teams involved playing at both schools over the weekend.

Three local teams played four games over the three days. Little Cypress Mauriceville, Orangefield, and West Orange-Stark took part in the combined tournaments.

The Little Cypress Mauriceville Bears won three of the four games they played losing only to the Kelly Bulldogs 2-0 on Friday. Landon Richards pitched well for the Bears in the loss giving up one earned run in five innings.

LCM won its first game on Thursday 8-4 over the Orangefield Bobcats at Ronnie Anderson Park on the West Orange-Stark campus. Jacob Scheiderer was the winning pitcher with Parker Seago earning a save pitching two shutout innings for the Bears.

Parker Freeman went three for four with two runs batted in. Clay Raney had two hits and drove in two runs. Marco Bandiero had the big blow with a three run double in the sixth that gave the Bears their final four run margin of victory.

Little Cypress Mauriceville played three games at Kelly. On Friday Jake Raney and Brice Frenzel combined to hold the Northside Falcons to just two runs. Bandiero got a walk off base on balls to give the Bears a 3-2 victory. The loss to Kelly followed later that afternoon.

The third win by the Bears came on Saturday morning. LCM defeated Cornerstone Christian 6-4 at Lamar University in Beaumont.

Bandiero was a star again pitching five innings without allowing an earned run. Scheiderer reached base all four times he went to the plate with two hits, a walk, a hit by pitch, and he scored two runs. Ethan Fry scored a run and had two runs batted in while Seago went two for two with a run scored and an rbi.

The West Orange-Stark Mustangs split their four games in their tournament. Thursday the Mustangs whipped the Warren Warriors 7-3 behind the three hit pitching and ten strikeouts by Diego Ibarra. Will Lee crushed a bases loaded double in the third inning that tied the game. Noah Robles and Blade Williams brought home runs in the fourth to give the Mustangs the lead which they never relinquished.

WOS lost later on Thursday night 7-0 to Kountze and on Friday night 10-0 to Buna. The Mustangs got one hit in each game.

The Mustang bats were swinging better on Saturday night for West Orange-Stark in a 10-5 besting of Beaumont United. The game only lasted four innings as Robles pitched two scoreless innings with three strikeouts to get the win.

Lee gave the Mustangs the early lead in the first inning with a double to drive in Robles, and then Will scored on a base hit by Grayson Gregory. Ja'Veon Rubin gave WOS a big 7-0 lead in the third with a double to bring home two more Mustangs.

Orangefield went 2-2 in the four games played. The Bobcats won the first game of the tournament on Thursday morning 9-5 over the Liberty Panthers at Ronnie Anderson Park.

Brycen Tait was the winning pitcher for the Bobcats going five and a third innings allowing all five runs but only three were earned. Carson Gonzalas got a two run double in the first that gave Orangefield a 4-2 lead. Gonzales walked to start the Orangefield third during which four more runs scored including a pair of Bobcats on a beautiful squeeze bunt by Adam Tran. Kane Smith just back to baseball following the conclusion of the basketball season for Orangefield scored three times in the game.

The Bobcats lost to Little Cypress Mauriceville 8-4 later on Thursday. Smith scored his fourth run in the two Orangefield games.

Kaleb Menard struck out five in six innings to get the 7-2 win for the Bobcats over the Cornerstone Christian Academy on Friday at Lamar University. Cameron Dearing went three for three with a triple, a double, and three runs scored. Gonzalas drove in three runs.

Saturday's game back at West Orange-Stark was worth forgetting for the Bobcats as they were toppled 12-1 by the Tomball Kings. Dearing went two for three with a walk while Camden Fountain was three for four and drove in Dearing for the Bobcat run.

The final tune ups before the start of district for the boys in District 19-4A will be tournaments. The Bridge City Cardinals play at the Jasper Tourney Thursday through Saturday, March 7-9. Little Cypress Mauriceville and West Orange-Stark will participate in the Orange County Classic baseball tournament Thursday through Saturday as well at the Little Cypress Mauriceville campus.

Orangefield began District 21-3A play on Tuesday, March 5, at home against Kirbyville. The Bobcats' next district game will be Tuesday, March 12, also at home against East Chambers.