GOFF NAILS DOWN WIN FOR BEARCATS

Dax Goff retired four hitters for a save in a game he had actually started to nail down an 8-6 win for the Bearcats Monday night in Mansfield.

Goff came on with the bases loaded and two down in the bottom of the sixth with the Bearcats up 8-6. He struck out the five hitter in the Tiger lineup to end the threat.

The Bearcats had two aboard in the top of the seventh – Casey Carter walked and Noah Harrel – singled in his first at bat of the season – but the Bearcats saw the inning end with an out at the plate.

Goff got ground balls to start the seventh but a hit by pitch prolonged the game long enough for Goff to record his ninth strikeout of the night to end a 78-pitch day. He will be eligible to pitch again Thursday.

Goff had been lifted after throwing 55 pitches over the first three innings. He had allowed two runs, one earned with one coming in the first on a pair of singles surrounding a wild pitch.

The Bearcats would score six times in the third. A pair of walks and an error loaded the bases before Dylan Todd’s infield single tied the game.

A wild pitch got the go-ahead run home and after Goff (3-for-3) drew a walk, Rylen Ray singled home two for a 4-1 lead. A fielder’s choice by Tayden Washburn added another run.

Matt O’Bar singled but the Bearcats had a runner thrown out at home before a double by Carter scored O’Bar and it was 6-1.

A two-out double in the home half of the inning drove in a run to make it 6-2.

After the first two were retired by a Tiger reliever in the top of the fourth Todd and Goff singled and a 10-pitch at bat by Ray ended up being a two-run double giving Ray a four RBI day and the Bearcats an 8-2 lead.

Rhett Nietert (1-2) relieved Goff and threw two innings. A couple of errors and four hits resulted in a four run inning for the Tigers in the fifth and it was 8-6, but Nietert got out of it with only 28 pitches and will be eligible to pitch today.

Todd got the first two outs in the Mansfield sixth before running into trouble, resulting in Goff returning to the mound.

The Bearcats will open Conference 3A-4 play today with Cedarville visiting.