Published: March 28, 2008 11:10 pm            

LC-M downs Raiders; gets help from Panthers

LITTLE CYPRESS — First take care of your own business and then worry about the rest of the district.

That formula set up nicely for the Little Cypress-Mauriceville Battlin’ Bears Friday when they first faced the Lumberton Raiders and then got some help from the Beaumont Ozen Panthers.

The Bears downed the Raiders 12-6 and then could celebrate news the Panthers took out the Vidor Pirates 5-4 to push LC-M into a first-place tie in District 22-4A.

The Port Neches-Groves Indians are also in the three-way tie for first after defeating Beaumont Central Friday, 16-2.

It all sets up a nice showdown in Vidor Tuesday when the Bears travel to face the Pirates.

Before the Bears could worry about what the Pirates and Panthers were up to, they had to erase a 1-0 lead the Raiders got in the top of the second.

It did not take long for these Bears to wake up.

The Bears busted open for seven runs in the bottom of the second on five hits and were helped out a ton by three Lumberton errors.

Ben Jones helped his own cause with a RBI blooper to left to score Stefan Cloeren who led the inning off getting on base on an error.

Two batters later Wade Estes ripped a two-run single to left to make it 3-1 LC-M as Matt Johnson and Jones each scored.

Estes and Dallas Brown, who reached on an error, then both came in to score to make it 5-1 as Tim Barry hit his second double of the game.

Chad Richard plated Barry with two-out, RBI double to center to make it 6-1.

Richard came in to score making it 7-1 when Cloeren hit a sacrifice fly to center field.

Jones, who got the win on the mound giving up only two hits and striking out six, led the bottom of the third with a quick-homer over the center field fence to make it 8-1.

After an out, Wade Estes got on base after a Lumberton error and Barry came up looking for an unusual hat trick.

Barry took a 1-2 pitch from Stephen McDonough to right field for his third double of the night which moved Estes to third.

With two down, Richard plated both Estes and Barry to make it 10-1 with a two-run triple.

Stefan Leger then made it 11-1 with a RBI single to center.

The Raiders would not be run-ruled, scoring three runs in the top of the fifth on two hits and a walk to make it 11-4.

Jones was chased out of the game after giving up his first hit of the game.

Jones gave up four runs in the game and walked seven batters.

Tayler Thompson worked 1 2/3 innings giving up no hits, no walks and he struck out two batters.

Leger scored in the bottom of the sixth on a RBI single by Cloeren to make it 12-4.

Stephen Maldonado finished the last inning and gave up two runs on three hits.

Cody Hussey blasted a two-run shot deep into the night in the top of the seventh to complete the 12-6 scoring.

        

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