A late rally was necessary for Little Cypress-Mauriceville to beat its crosstown rival West Orange-Stark Friday. The Bears scored the last six runs of the game to defeat the visiting Mustangs 6-2 at Don Gibbens Field.
Five runs in the fifth for LC-M captured the lead. The top of the Bears’ batting order started the rally with three singles by Jordan Alexander, Ty Shugart, and Taylor Gilbert to load the bases.
The Mustangs had made no mistakes in the field and starting pitcher DaQuarius Gipson had walked no Bear batters in the first four innings. That changed quickly as the next three LC-M hitters all reached base, two on errors by the Mustangs and one on a walk to give Little Cypress-Mauriceville a 3-2 lead.
After Gipson struck out a Bear for the first out, he made an errant pitch that hit Carter Claybar to bring in the fourth run. Ty Moreland singled to center driving in Anthony Bandiero with the fifth run of the inning. It took a fly out to Jalen Thompson in left who threw out a Bear runner tagging and trying to score to finally stop the bleeding.
Little Cypress-Mauriceville added a little insurance in the sixth inning as Shugart led off with a walk. Zach Krummell pinch ran for Shugart and stole second and third. Max Dileo singled to drive in Krummell and make the score 6-2 in favor of the Bears.
Dileo got credit for the win for LC-M improving his record to 6-2. He relieved starter Taylor Gilbert in the fourth inning and yielded a double to Jerren Terrell the first Mustang he faced. In his four innings on the mound Dileo gave up one unearned run allowing two hits and two hit batters.
West Orange-Stark got to Bears’ starter Gilbert for a run in the first. Jacob Dominguez walked on four pitches and went to second on a wild pitch. Justin Veitch singled Dominguez home to give the Mustangs the lead 1-0.
WO-S tallied a run in the top of the fifth with KalebIstre singling off Dileo to start the inning. Dominguez reached on an error. William Robles hit a pop fly behind second base which eluded a trio of Bears. Right fielder Gilbert picked up the ball and threw to second in time for a force out on Dominguez with Istreadvancing to third. Istre scored to make it 2-0 for the Mustangs on a ground out by Veitch.
The win gives the Little Cypress-Mauriceville Bears a solid position for the playoffs which is only two weeks away. The West Orange-Stark Mustangs have two more games to earn their first district win of the season.
Above: Ty Shugart tags out Jacob Dominguez at second
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