HUF 1 1 0 2 1 0 2- 7
LCM 0 0 0 0 7 2 X- 9
The late season run of the Little Cypress-Mauriceville Bears continued Saturday afternoon. Down 5-0 the Bears scored seven runs in the fifth and two more in the sixth to achieve a momentous come from behind 9-7 win over the Huffman Falcons at Don Gibbens Field.
LC-M needed to win four straight as the season ended including a play-in game to even make the playoffs. Down by five runs and with only one hit to their credit in the first four innings some may have given the Bears up for dead again. They came out of hibernation in the fifth with a vengeance not only taking the lead, but swinging the momentum in their favor like a wave.
Peyton Choate lit the fuse for the explosive inning with a leadoff walk. Truman Franklin rattled a double off the center field fence for only the Bears’ second hit of the game to that point. Seth Dronett walked to load the bases. After a strikeout, Vinny Hale hit a dribbler in front of the plate. Huffman pitcher Stephen Keller fielded it and then made a poor throw home allowing Choate to score. The catcher retrieved the ball at the backstop. Franklin was also trying to score and the catcher threw to Keller covering home, but Keller dropped the ball so Franklin scored to make it 5-2.
Next up was Mitchel Lee who had flown to deep center field in both his first two at bats against Keller. Lee got a pitch to his liking which he lined over the left center field fence for his eighth homerun of the season to tie the game. The Falcons changed pitchers, but the Bears kept on hitting.
Michael Lee lined a single to left and Grant White one hopped a ball off the right field fence for a double. With the go-ahead run at third Huffman was forced to play the infield in. Tyler McCorvey hit a soft liner that might have been playable if the shortstop was playing back, but instead landed in shallow left for a base hit driving in Michael Lee and the courtesy runner Kade Bland to give LC-M its first lead of the game 7-5.
Pitcher Slade Green relieved Bears’ starter Mitchel Lee in the top of the fifth inning. In the sixth Green retired the Falcons in order. It was one of only two innings Huffman did not score a run during the game.
The Bears got two important insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth. Dronett hit a leadoff double to right center. Drake Trawhon laid down an excellent bunt which the third Huffman pitcher picked up, looked to third initially, and then tried to make the play at first, but he threw it down the right field line allowing Dronett to score.
Hale sacrificed Trawhon to second and not wanting Mitchel Lee to repeat his earlier heroics the Falcons walked him intentionally. Stepping up to look like his big brother Michael Lee then ripped a double down the left field line to score Trawhon which put the Bears up 9-5.
The Falcons which were the district champions in 23-4A did not go quietly in the final inning. Cole Coker and Jake Bumgarner singled to start the inning. The next Falcon hitter popped a foul down the right field line. It looked like it would be just a foul ball until second baseman Peyton Choate made an incredible catch for the first out.
A hit batter and another single brought home a run to make it 9-6 with the bases loaded with Falcons. The Bears got a force out at second for the second out, but another run scored to cut the lead to two. Green then faced Huffman’s leadoff batter Keller who already had two hits and two runs batted in. On a 2-2 pitch Green struck out Keller looking and the victory was the Bears’ who swarmed on the field to congratulate each other over the dramatic comeback win.
-Dan Perrine, KOGT-
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