BEARCATS WIN IN DIFFERENT FASHION

Weird, strange, peculiar, odd, bizarre, unusual, abnormal, unconventional, atypical, or even wacky. Ten words that could easily describe the 16-6 Bearcat baseball win in Lamar on Tuesday.

That is one word for every base the Bearcats swiped during the contest with Dylan Todd, Hayden Daniel, Rhett Nietert taking two apiece; and Clint Osborne, Jace Washburn, Noah Harrel, and Parker Smith all with one theft.

While his stolen base was not particularly out of the ordinary, the later of the aforementioned group would be involved in plenty of the weird happenings.

The Bearcats started the second inning by committing two errors but, after the leadoff hitter took second base on a passed ball, Smith threw the batter-turned-courtesy-runner out when he tried the unusual steal attempt of third. Lamar did not try Smith again.

In the top of the third Smith came to the plate with two runners in scoring position and one down after a sacrifice bunt by Cutler Haller, completed via an abnormal play at first in which the first baseman tagged him after backpedaling.

The idea was to sacrifice as well to score Casey Carter from third. The plan worked to, in a strange way, better than perfection. Smith’s bunt was fielded by the Warrior pitcher who fired to the first baseman who was retreating toward the bag.

However, he had not gotten to the base so Smith beat it for a hit and while Lamar players exchanged peculiar glances at one another Daniel, who had been at second just kept running and scored the second run on a hit that would not go 40 feet and it was 6-1.

Lamar got back in the game with a four run bottom of the inning that included an atypical two runs scored by courtesy runners.

Though not entirely rare, the Bearcats would score twice in the fourth against the second Warrior pitcher, doing so without a hit.

There had been a pair of errors by Lamar in the fourth. There were three more to start the Bearcat fifth, two coming on bunts contributing to an unconventional line score in which Lamar matched its eight hits with eight errors.

The third error of the inning, on the second bunt, scored a run as an attempt was made at third and thrown away. With two down Washburn induced a balk from the Warrior pitcher and it was 11-5.

In the sixth Smith singled for his second hit of the day. After Harrel walked with one out Nietert singled for a run. Odd was incoming.

Todd lifted a fly ball that nearly became a double play with a throw from left as Harrel retreated to third to tag at third. When the throw to first hit the dirt, Harrel scored and it was 13-5.

Bizarre then checked into the lineup for the sixth.

Two walks and an error filled the bases for Smith who grounded to the umpire. Literally. With a dead ball and everyone forced to move awarded the next base the bases remained loaded and it was an RBI single for Smith’s third hit of the day.

Smith was not finished. Osborne singled home one run but when Haller held up at third and Smith kept coming, the Bearcats ended up with two within feet of third base.

Haller got into a rundown, but Smith retreated to second, where it got even more wacky as Osborne was dangerously close to being a second runner at that base, and retreated to first.

That was where the throw would go so Smith then headed for third again and when the throw got away, kept going and scored with a dive at the plate to make it 16-5.

In the bottom of the inning Todd, who was on in relief of Washburn, got into a little trouble with one down, then took a ball off the leg that ricocheted to Jeremiah Shaw at first for an out with a run scoring to make it 16-6.

There were a combined 22 runs on 19 hits and 11 errors. Only 10 of the runs were earned. The teams combined to walk 12 hitters and strike out 14. There were two runners caught stealing. There were three total batters hit with pitches. There were four total wild pitches, and two passed balls. The Bearcats had five sacrifice at bats with four being via the bunt and the other a fly ball.

Washburn got the win to improve to 3-2 on the season, giving him decisions in five of seven games for the Bearcats, which is also an uncommon percentage.