BEARCATS WIN EIGHTH STRAIGHT

Head coach Arron Kimes used a different lineup in the field. It did not matter at the plate as every starter in the Booneville Bearcats lineup had a hit Tuesday. Seven of them had at least one run batted in in a 15-5, fine-inning win over Lavaca.

The win in just the fifth home game this season is the seventh straight for the Bearcats and moves the season record to 11-4.

Kimes gave regular catcher Dax Goff a second straight day off which put Jace Washburn behind the plate and Goff at third base, moving Dylan Todd to second base and Rhett Nietert (shown) to shortstop as Peyton Tatum drew the start.

However, going to the bottom of the third it was Lavaca holding a 5-2 lead although the Golden Arrows had hit into two double plays.

In the bottom of the third Brooks Herrera (2-for-3) singled and Nietert drew a walk. A Lavaca error allowed Goff to reach and fill the bases but an infield fly kept everyone in place.

Dunn Daniel (3-for-4) was the beneficiary of a bad hop single that scored two and cut the deficit to one. Daniel would drive in four on the day.

After Daniel swiped second Washburn doubled in two for the lead and a Ry Ray single made it 7-5. Matt O’Bar greeted a relief pitcher with a double on his first offering but the Bearcats left two in scoring position.

Peyton Taum (4-2) worked around a hit batter and Lavaca’s eighth hit of the day in the fourth and would be lifted, moving Nietert back to second and Todd to the mound.

By then the Bearcats had made it 9-5 as Goff (2-for-4) smashed his eighth home run with one down in the bottom of the inning and O’Bar drew a bases loaded walk with two down.

Making a relief appearance for the second straight day, Todd threw a scoreless inning for the second straight day. He allowed a leadoff single but got the next three Arrows in order, two on strikes.

Herrera led off the Bearcat fifth with his second hit and stole second in front of an RBI single by Nieteret to make it 10-5.

With two down Daniel singled home a run, Washburn was hit by a pitch and an error allowed Ray to reach and a run to score to make it 12-5.

O’Bar’s second double of the day scored one and chased pinch runner Cody Elliot to third and both came home on a double by David Hicks that pushed the lead to 10 at 15-5.

After Lavaca scored three times on two hits, an error, and a walk – all with two down – in the first the Bearcats got two runs back in their first at bat on a Goff single and Daniel groundout.

The Arrows reestablished a three run lead when the first five hitters reached safely in the top of the second. Tatum got out of the inning with an out recorded at the plate and a double play when a runner left early on a fly ball.

The Bearcats are next scheduled to play at Alma on Thursday then return to Conference 3A-4 play at Two Rivers on Friday with an opportunity to wrap up an outright conference title as both Charleston and Paris both have two losses.