The Booneville Bearcats saw a seven game win streak snapped Tuesday with an 8-7 loss to Mansfield at the Billy Kiersey Baseball/Softball Complex.
The game had been scheduled to be played in Mansfield but was moved due to field conditions.
Losing to the Tigers for the second time came despite the Bearcats out-hitting the Tigers 10-6.
Both Brooks Herrera (shown) and Dax Goff were 3-for-4 in the game with Herrera delivering his second home run of season leading off the bottom of the first.
That made it 2-1. Mansfield had scored on a bases loaded walk, one of five passes issued by Bearcat pitching, and on a ground ball but otherwise just one hit in the top of the first.
After Herrera’s home run Rylen Ray singled and Goff doubled. After a bunt by Peyton Tatum erased Ray at the plate a pair of strikeouts would end the inning. But, not before a pair of wild pitches allowed both Goff and Tatum to score to make it 3-2.
The first three Tigers to hit in the third singled to tie it at 3-3 and an error allowed a fourth hitter aboard and the go-ahead run home. A ground out made it 5-3 in favor of the Tigers.
The Bearcats got one back when Herrera doubled leading off the bottom of the inning and scored on a single by Goff but the first to two double plays ended the inning.
Tatum (3-1) pitched around a leadoff walk in the fourth and threw a perfect fifth before Mansfield was able to do more damage.
In the sixth it was a two-out error – the second of the inning – that allowed a run to score to make it 6-4.
Singles by Tatum and Dunn Daniel started the home sixth and, after a ground ball out, Jace Washburn drove in a run with a single to make it 6-5. A fly ball that turned into a double play ended that inning.
With Tatum at 106 pitches, Goff came on in relief and walked the first man he faced, then allowed a two run home run to make it 8-5.
An error, the fourth of the day for the Bearcats, allowed another man to reach before Goff struck out the next three Tigers, giving the Bearcats 12 strikeouts on the day.
Herrera singled for his third hit of the day with one down in the bottom of the inning and Ray reached on one of the three Mansfield errors. Goff singled home Herrera for his second RBI of the day and, with two down, another error got Daniel aboard and Ray home to make it 8-7.
With Goff at third, Daniel would steal second and represent the winning run but the Bearcat could not get them home.
The Bearcats are scheduled to play at Paris Thursday. The game was rescheduled due to snow on March 11.
The contest will have no effect on seeding for next week’s district tournament in Cedarville. The Bearcats will be the second seed from the South division due to the tiebreaker.
