GOFF, TODD, RAY LEAD BEARCATS IN STATE TOURNAMENT FIRST ROUND WIN

Taking advantage of an outfield error that was going to score the tying run, Dax Goff made it home from first base to give the Bearcats a 3-2 lead over Pangburn in the bottom of the fifth inning of the opening round of the Class 3A state tournament Thursday afternoon.

Goff then made it stand up, hitting the mandatory removal pitch count in what would the final hitter of the game, inducing a popup to Dylan Todd at second base to finish the 20th straight win by the Bearcats.

Working with the lead Goff (6-0)allowed only one more hit the rest of the way, to the left fielder, who accounted for three of the five Tiger hits, leading off the seventh.

After the Bearcats stranded two in the home half of the second – Jace Washburn reached on an error and Parker Smith walked – the Tigers got a two out hit for the lead in the third.

It came with the bases loaded on a single and a pair of walks, but Goff got a ground ball to Rhett Nietert at shortstop to end the inning.

With two down in the bottom of the third Todd (2-for-3) tripled to right center and Goff (2-for-3) followed with a single to make it 2-1.

The Bearcats loaded the bases in the fourth on a Matt O’Bar double and a pair of walks – both hurlers walked three in complete games – but left all three aboard, though the inning cost the Tiger pitcher 35 pitches, including nine to Conner Lentz on an eventual walk.

Todd (shown after the triple) beat out a ground ball to short for a single leading off the fifth and Goff singled hard off of the third baseman’s leg to bring Ray to the plate.

Ray sent a ball into left that was going to send Todd home for the second time and tie the game but when it got by the fielder Goff just kept running and gave the Bearcats the lead.

Ray reached third on the play and Washburn attempted to squeeze in courtesy runner Dakota Fonseca, but Fonseca was out at home forcing the Bearcats to settle for the slimmest of leads.

Goff got three fly balls in an eight pitch sixth inning that moved his count to 99 for the day.

After a leadoff single in the Pangburn seventh, Goff fielded a bunt and threw out the lead runner then got the second out on a line drive to Todd on pitch 109.

After a first pitch strike to the next hitter a pop up in shallow right field was hauled in by Todd to end it.

With the win the Bearcats move into the quarterfinals to face Rivercrest, who hammered Bismarck 10-3, at 12:30 today.

The winner will face the winner of Harding Academy, a 2-1 winner over Paris, and Gosnell, a 4-2 winner of Haskell Harmony Grove in a semifinal game Saturday.