Published: April 26, 2008 12:01 am            

Vidor downs LC-M, 9-4

LITTLE CYPRESS — The Little Cypress-Mauriceville Battlin’ Bears will head to the playoffs as the No. 3 seed out of District 22-4A after Vidor left Don Gibbens Field the winner Friday night.

The Pirates (11-3) scored seven runs in the first two innings and went on to claim a 9-4 victory with Trae Hester getting the win on the mound and VJ Bunner closing the deal in the final two innings.

After Vidor took a 4-0 lead in the top of the first, LC-M (9-5) scratched back for three runs in the bottom of the first.

Tim Barry led things off with a single to left and moved to third on a Vidor error.

The advancement really did not mean much as Chad Richard would send the first pitch he saw from Hester over the fence for a two-run blast.

The Bears were not down even with two outs and Stefan Cloeren at the plate.

Cloeren blasted a 1-2 pitch, after falling behind 0-2, over the left-center field fence to make it 4-3.

The one-run deficit did not last long as the Pirates went right back to work in the top of the second with three runs on two hits.

Will Fontnow drew a one-out walk just in time for Chaz Bruce to step up to the plate and deliever a two-run bomb to left field to make it 6-3.

Two batters later it was Chad Sims who connected of Shane Waddell for a solo homer to left-center making it 7-3.

Ben Jones scored the Bears’ last run of the contest in the bottom of the second after reaching first on a Vidor error.

Jones would move to third on a single by Phillip Richard and Barry did the rest with a RBI single to center field.

Barry’s single was the last of seven hits Hester would give up. Hester struck out eight batters in five innings of work.

The Pirates tacked on two more runs in the top of the fourth as Bruce would score on a wild pitch and Hester would later drive in Bunner to make the final 9-4 win.

Bunner sat down all six batters he faced in the sixth and seventh innings and struck out three.

LC-M starter Dallas Brown last just 1/3 an inning giving up four runs on three hits with one walk.

Waddell last 3 2/3 innings for LC-M and gave up three hits and five runs with four walks and seven strike outs.

Matt Johnson completed the game for LC-M and struck out three batters.

Port Neches-Groves will head to the playoffs as the district champions after Friday’s 5-2 win over the Dayton Broncos.

        

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