TATUM, GOFF COMBINE FOR WIN/SAVE, 5 RBI

With Peyton Tatum on the mound Dax Goff had two hits, including a double, and drove in three to help the Bearcats build a 6-1 lead in Hackett yesterday.

With Hackett within 6-3 Goff came on with a save opportunity. He would get the final out of the sixth and Tatum provided some seventh inning insurance with a two-run double on the way to the 9-3 win over the Hornets of the 3A-4’s northern division.

Brooks Herrera started the game with an eight-pitch at bat that resulted in him being hit by a pitch and, he scored on an error that allowed Dunn Daniel to reach.

With one out Rylen Ray doubled Daniel home. The inning ended when courtesy runner Blazen Jones was called out for not tagging up on a strike out foul tip.

Jones later entered the game as a pinch hitter and recorded one of the eight Bearcat hits.

Tatum (1-0) pitched around a single and a hit batter in the Hornet second inducing a fielder’s choice that erased a runner at the plate and one of his eight strikeouts.

Dunn reached on an error or the second time in the Bearcat third and scored on Goff's double to make it 3-0.

Hackett got that run back on a two out error in the bottom of the inning.

Tatum walked the leadoff batter in the bottom of the fourth and got away with it, but Hackett hurler Cash Oliver, who had two of the six hits Tatum allowed, wouldn’t be as fortunate when he walked Cam Osborne (shown) to start the Bearcat fifth.

With two down Daniel singled and Goff doubled both home to make it 5-1 and another error allowed Goff to score for a five run lead.

Tatum stranded two more runners in the Hackett fifth but the Bearcats left the sacks full in the top of the sixth.

Hackett got singles from Mason Oelke and Kamron Elkins to start the bottom of the sixth but Tatum struck out the next two hitters before a single by Eli Slavens made it 6-2.

Another run scored on an error and chased Tatum in favor of Goff for his first mound duty of the season.

Goff got the final out of the inning at the plate, tagging out Slavens trying to score on a passed ball.

Goff was hit by a pitch to start the Bearcat seventh and after Hackett’s fourth error of the game allowed Ray to reach, Tatum doubled both home.

Tatum later scored on a two-out single by Osborne, who was 2-for-3 on the day.

Working around the Bearcats’ fourth error, Goff struck out the side in the home half of the seventh to complete his second career save.

The Bearcats are on the road today at Lamar.