By Caleb Adams

Leader Correspondent

BRIDGE CITY — The Bridge City Cardinals edged out the Orangefield Bobcats Friday night in Bridge City 7-5 in a District 22-4A thriller.

The Cardinal offense hit notably better this game to help propel them to a victory over the Bobcats (12-5, 2-3). The fifth inning for the Cardinals (11-8, 2-3) was the stand out inning where they scored the bulk of their runs off of stringing hits and finding ways to get on base.

The Bobcats fought to find runs and eventually did late in the game, but couldn’t muster up enough hits to find the win. Brett Fregia and Dylan Anthony had key hits for the Bobcats in the fifth inning when Orangefield scored the bulk of their runs, but the team couldn’t replicate that to pull out a win.

Pitching wise the Cardinals used three arms. Starter Jacob Goodman threw 92 pitches with eight strikeouts in 4 and 2/3 innings, Kevin Gordon threw 53 pitches with three strikeouts and Justyn Romero closed it out with just five pitches on the night.

Orangefield used three arms as well. Starter Ryon Stubblefield through 80 pitches with two strikeouts, Dylan Anthony threw 18 pitches, and Johnny Armstrong threw 18 pitches.

The Cardinals struck first in the bottom of the second inning after stringing a couple of hits together. Kevin Gordon reached base off of a dinker by the shortstop, and Luc Hollier moved him around with a bunt. Jackson Tims knocked in Gordon after the Orangefield defense made an error. A few pitches later Stubblefield threw a wild pitch and Hollier took home on it.

Bridge City tacks on one more run in the bottom of the third inning. Schuyler Thibodaux led off with a single to left center field, Brady Coulter came off the bench to run for Thibodaux. Logan Hamm moved Coulter to second with a single and reaches first himself. Caleb Dubois moves both runners up one with a sacrifice hit. Romero knocked in Coulter with a hard grounder to short.

The Bobcats threatened in the top of the fourth inning but come up short. Brett Fregia reached base on a hard single. Mason Gonzalez moved Fregia to second with a hard hit to left center. Kent Micheal’s sac bunt moved both runners up one base. Andrew Hoyland tried to bunt in Fregia but third baseman Hamm threw him out at home. Bridge City’s Jacob Goodman closed the inning with a forced groundball to end the threat.

The Cards stuck again with another run in the bottom of the fourth inning. Hollier got on base with a leadoff walk. After a couple of grounders to move around Hollier to third, Gavin Green knocks him in with a two out RBI single. The Cardinals led after four innings 4-0.

Orangefield found runs in the top of the fifth. Ryan Deutsch started the inning with a walk, after Johnny Armstrong moved him to second Dylan Anthony knocked him in with a long hit to left center. Brett Fregia followed with another single to left and Mason Gonzalez knocked in Anthony with a hard single. Andrew Hoyland and Kent Micheal draw walks to drive in another run for the Bobcats to make it a one-run game. Blake Bradley hit a grounder to second but the Cardinals couldn’t find an out and Gonzalez scores to tie the game up at 4-4. The Cardinals took no time to take back the lead the next inning. Hamm took a leadoff walk, Dubois connected and hit a long double to bring Hamm around to third. Romero knocked in Hamm with a dinker to left field. Kevin Gordon hit a sac fly to bring in Dubois from third for the second run of the inning. Hollier drew a walk and Romero got thrown out a third for the second out. Taron Burch hits a single to move Hollier to second. After Jackson Tims drew a walk, Green came up with bases loaded and showed patience to draw yet another walk to drive in the third run of the inning.

The Bobcats mounted one last attempt to take the lead in the seventh inning. Gonzalez drew a walk to leadoff, Micheal hit a single to move pinch runner Cade Brown around to second. Deutsch drew a walk making the bases loaded with two outs in the inning. Cards brought in Justyn Romero to pitch to try and stop the Bobcats final push.

Stubblefield driove in one run with a hit to shortstop and made it to first himself keeping the bases loaded. Armstrong flies out to Hamm at third to close out the game for Bridge City.

The Cardinals will visit Silsbee Tuesday while the Bobcats visit Hamshire-Fannett.