By Caleb Adams

Leader Correspondent

ORANGEFIELD — The Orangefield Bobcats beat the Tarkington Longhorns Tuesday night 11-2 to run their record to a perfect 5-0 for first-year head coach Tim Erickson.

The Bobcats kept the pressure steady all night scoring in all innings except the third. The Longhorns however only scored twice in the sixth inning.

First Baseman Mack Patterson led the team in hitting, going 3-for-4 on the night. Patterson had a double on all three hits and a stolen base in the sixth inning. Patterson drove in two runs in the first and in the sixth, both being Payton Lathrop.

Lathrop went 2-for-4 with one RBI and a stolen base. Lathrop also accounted for a sacrifice ground ball in the fourth to drive in a run.

The starting pitcher for the Bobcats Ryon Stubblefield worked the Longhorns on the mound and from the batter’s box. Stubblefield had nine strikeouts on the night and one walk and no runs scored against him. He also went 2-for-4 in the box with three RBI’s.

The only player to record a hit for the Longhorns Tuesday night was catcher Harrison Williams, who had a single in the sixth inning and a stolen base.

The Bobcats were up two in the fourth inning when the bats really got going for them.

Shortstop Blake Bradley started the inning off with a walk and the Bobcats took full advantage with Kent Michael hitting a single and Stubblefield driving them both in on a long double to left field. Stubblefield would steal third and Lathrop would drive him in with a sacrifice groundball.

After the three-run inning the Bobcats would score twice in the fifth with the help of Brett Fregia and Bradley hitting collecting a double and a single to drive in the runs.

The big inning for Orangefield was in the sixth. Lathrop started the inning with a double to right field, Patterson on the next at bat hit a long double to center driving in Lathrop. Dylan Anthony walked on the next at bat. Patterson would steal third and home off of bad throws from Tarkington and Anthony would advance to second base. Brenton Standley drove in another run with a double to left-center field. Finally Ryan Deutsch would drive in the final run of the inning with an infield single to shortstop.

The Bobcats beat the Longhorns in every part of the game. The Longhorns racked up 11 strikeouts as a team at the plate, while the Bobcats only racked up seven. The Longhorns didn’t leave many runners on, but that’s because they never got on in the first place. Orangefield was better on the defense than the Longhorns who had seven errors.

Baseball is in the air and the Bobcats are looking at a great season if they can keep this up as a team.

The Bobcats will look to continue their winning ways when they compete in the Lumberton Tournament Thursday through Saturday.