Published: March 20, 2008 10:22 pm            

Late Orangefield rally sinks Mustangs

ORANGEFIELD — First it was Derrick Evans and then Jace Statum took his turn.

Finally Clint Worthy was the Orangefield Bobcat to finish the deal as the Bobcats came from behind to defeat the West Orange-Stark Mustangs 11-10 Thursday afternoon in District 21-3A action.

The Bobcats were down 10-9 heading into the bottom of the seventh and Mustang starter Cody Hodge picked up two quick strike outs.

Evans then go the rally started with a single to left field with two down.

Statum then came to bat, being 1-for-4 at the time, and laced what should have been just a RBI single to right.

Statum hustled the play out and ended up with a double as Evans scored to tie the ball game at 10.

Worthy then came up and took the first pitch he saw from Hodge into right-center giving Statum plenty of time to score the winning run.

"That felt really good," Worthy said. "I haven't had a game-winning hit in a while. I kept thinking I had to hit one in the gap and I knew Jace could score for sure."

Orangefield Coach Jeff Bennett was more than pleased with the effort the Bobcats put into coming back into the game. Bennett also was pleased with the way Evans handled the situation being up with two down in the bottom of the seventh as the No. 9 hitter in the line-up.

"That is the No. 1 reason why Derrick is there because he can get a hit," Bennett said. "Derrick got the hit and a stolen base then Jace came up real big and never stopped on first. That is just him knowing how to play the game of baseball. Clint was just moved into the No. 2 spot yesterday and it has certainly worked out so far.

"The kids never gave up and kept battling. It is the mental toughness I have been preaching about since Day 1. The kids never quit."

The Mustangs held a 9-4 lead after the fifth inning.

WO-S scored five runs on five hits in the top of the fifth which eventually took Orangefield starter Zach Peevey out of the game.

Hodge had a RBI single in the top of the fifth which plated Clayton Gearhart who had doubled.

Bubba Gearhart then scored on a balk and Hodge would later score on a Ryan Edwards single.

Justin Sparrow then scored Chase Adams and Edwards with a two-run double.

Orangefield busted out for five runs in the bottom of the sixth as the first five Bobcats reached base.

Evans plated Josh Watson on a RBI single and Statum then scored Zach Hayes with another RBI single.

Evans would later score when Worthy reached on an error.

With one down, Possum LaFleur ripped a RBI double to score Statum making it 10-9 Mustangs to put the Bobcats right back into the game.

The Mustangs scored twice in the top of the first as Sparrow scored on a Jordan Darnall ground-out.

Clayton Gearhart scored and made it 2-0 when Hodge ripped a RBI single into right.

The Bobcats made it 2-1 in the bottom of the first after Worthy doubled with one down and later came in to score.

WO-S put up two more runs in the bottom of the second as Chase Adams led off with a triple and Edwards followed with a walk.

Kendal Veitch plated Adams with a RBI single to center and Darnall later pushed Edwards across with a ground-out to second.

The Bobcats closed to within 4-3 in the bottom of the third as Jacob Felts blasted a two-run homer to left.

Hodge went the entire game for WO-S giving up 12 hits and three walks with three strike outs.

Felts got the win for the Bobcats.

        

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