EARLY LEAD NOT ENOUGH FOR BEARCATS

Despite getting base hits from eight different players Tuesday the Booneville Bearcats fell in Mansfield, 9-7.

The Bearcats (14-5) got off to the early lead with the first three hitters reaching base.

Brooks Herrera drew a walk leading off the game then stole second while Rhett Nietert sought a pitch to drive to right field for the first run (shown). Dax Goff followed with a single to score Nietert to make it 2-0.

Jace Washburn singled with two down but the Bearcats left two aboard.

In the second it was Matt O’Bar delivering a single and Nietert drawing a two-out walk in front of a double by Goff that scored both Cody Elliott, running for O’Bar and Nietert from first for a 4-0 lead. A double by Peyton Tatum made it 5-0.

Goff allowed his first hit of the day after a pair of walks and a pair of strikeouts in the second. The hit scored a run. A wild pitch got the Tigers another, an error got a third and, with the inning prolonged, two more base hits tied it at 5-5.

Another walk ended the day for Goff, who had also walked the first two hitters of the game but got three strikeouts in the first.

O’Bar, making his first appearance since March 6 and third of the year, got a strikeout to end the inning. He would go on to throw a career long four and a third.

Another pair of walks and a pair of hits led to Mansfield taking an 8-5 lead through three innings.

It stayed that way until Herrera drew his second walk in the sixth during which Mansfield’s starter reached the pitch limit and Nietert greeted the newcomer with a single to right to make it 8-6.

Daniel lined one off the pitcher’s foot to score another run to make it 8-7 and a single by Washburn loaded the bases but the Bearcats would leave them full.

Mansfield added an insurance run in the sixth against O’Bar (0-1).

With two down in the top of the seventh Herrera reached on an infield single for the 11th Bearcat hit and Nietert drew a walk, but a fielder’s choice ended it.

The Bearcats, who saw a 10-game winning streak snapped with the loss, are scheduled to be back in action at home to close the regular season with Clarksville in town Thursday and Dover here Friday.