Cardinals and Bobcats both won two district games last week

Baseball action in District 19-4A started Tuesday, March 12. The Bridge City Cardinals got a good jump in the district winning both games with the Silsbee Tigers.

On Tuesday the Cardinals rallied for a 4-3 win scoring two runs in the sixth inning at Silsbee. The pair of runs came home on back to back base on balls with the bases loaded.

Bridge City got good pitching from four Cardinal hurlers who allowed just one earned run. Max Pachar threw three solid innings, Owen Tucker went two frames, before Brayton Tregre pitched the sixth to get the win, and Austin Frederick got a save closing out the final inning.

Heavy rain on Friday postponed the second game until Saturday morning in Bridge City. The Cardinals followed a similar script to the first game using five pitchers to capture a 4-2 victory over the Tigers.

Landon Reeves got the start on the mound for the Cardinals and surrendered two runs only one of which was earned in four and a third innings. After a one out walk Reeves fielded a very good bunt down the first base line by the Tigers and his throw to first hit the batter in the helmet allowing the two Tigers to advance two bases. Both runners eventually scored to tie the game 2-2 in the top of the fifth inning.

The Cardinals had taken a two run lead in the third as Hutch Bearden doubled to left center and John Van Huis followed with an excellent bunt for a single. Hunter Ford hit a sacrifice fly to center to bring home Bearden and Van Huis made it 2-0 scoring on a wild pitch.

The game was won in the sixth just like it was on Tuesday with two runs for the Cardinals. Ford provided the big hit driving in the first of two runs before scoring the second himself to give Bridge City the lead 4-2 with an inning to play. Frederick relieved Pachar to get the final out in the seventh inning and earn another save.

Cardinal Coach Chad Landry responded, "The defense has got to improve. We know that because we did have some errors in the two games. Just some young guys in their first district ball games a little nerves is expected, but it was good to come out on top in both games, and overall the Cardinals played well."

This week the Bridge City Cardinals play their cross county rivals the Little Cypress Mauriceville Bears in two games. The Bears had the bye last week and traveled to Bridge City on Tuesday, March 19, before hosting the Cardinals at Don Gibbens Field on Friday.

The West Orange-Stark Mustangs opened their district schedule with the Vidor Pirates the other Orange County team in the district. Vidor swept the two games.

Bryce Bushelle threw five shutout innings for the Pirates on Tuesday to get the win 10-0 over the Mustangs in a game shortened to six innings. William Lee got the only hit for WOS. Daigan Venable had the big blow with a three run homer for Vidor.

Saturday was a makeup game for the rainout on Friday at Vidor. The Pirates won 9-2 with Aiden Sims getting the win throwing three perfect innings with four strikeouts.

The Mustangs got their two runs in the fourth inning as Zach Nation got the only hit in the game for WOS, Lee walked, and Blade Williams was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Nation scored on a ground out by Grayson Gregory and Lee came home on a wild pitch.

West Orange-Stark has two games with the Lumberton Raiders this week. Tuesday's game was at Lumberton and on Friday the Raiders come to Ronnie Anderson Park.

The Orangefield Bobcats had a very good week winning both of their games to improve to 2-1 in District 21-3A action. The Bobcats played on Saturday after the rain on Friday and defeated the Warren Warriors 8-0 as Brycen Tait threw a no hitter.

Tait issued just two walks with 10 strikeouts in his seven innings of outstanding work on the mound at Warren. Providing the offense for Orangefield were Kane Smith, Caleb Fregia, Camden Fountain, and Matthew Johnson each with multiple hits. Johnson drove home two runs in the fifth to help break the game open for the Bobcats.

Earlier on Tuesday, March 12, the Bobcats blew out the East Chambers Buccaneers 19-2 at Orangefield. Smith and Fregia were offensive leaders with multiple hits and four runs batted in apiece. Cameron Dearing and Logan Cheek both had two hits in the run fest for Orangefield. Kaleb Menard pitched three and a third shutout innings for the win allowing one hit and striking out six Buccaneers.

Orangefield played at Buna on Tuesday, March 19. The Bobcats return home for a game with the Hardin Hornets on Friday night.