Green throws gem as Bears beat Huntington

Published 9:06 am Friday, March 2, 2018

By Caleb Adams

Leader Correspondent

LITTLE CYPRESS — The Little Cypress-Mauriceville Bears edge out the Huntington Red Devils 1-0 off of a Slade Green seven inning no-hitter, in the Gibbens Tournament Thursday. That marked the Bears’ second win of the day after topping Buna 7-2 in game one of the double header.

The Red Devils had trouble finding purchase on any Green’s pitches, and only getting base-runners through walks and one fielder’s choice.

The Bears’ Green started, and was able to have some quick early innings, and set the pace for himself the rest of the night as he finished with 10 strikeouts. The first base runner for Huntington was off a walk in the fifth inning, but Green picked him off at third base, and the second came from another walk but Green picked him off too. Green faced the minimum through six innings with his solid one-two punch in the fastball and the curveball and a little changeup every now and then to keep batters off balance.

Green would get the nod again in the seventh to finish his no-hitter, and would end up facing more batters in this inning than any of the other six. In the end he would find a way to get through his toughest inning of the night, ending the game on a strikeout looking on his curve.

Jordan Alexander, for the Bears, scored the game’s only run on a wild pitch in the bottom of the third, after leading off with a walk and a sac bunt from Reid Saperstein, not needing an actual hit to create a run.

The Bears would only get a few hits in the early stages of the game, and were unable to bring them around to score, keeping the score close at 1-0 throughout the game.

In the win over Buna, Truman Franklin got the win on the hill for the Bears. Anthony Bandiero and Michael Lee both went 2-for-3 at the plate. Other scores at the tourney Thursday was LC-M JV 13, Legacy Christian 2, Buna 11, LC-M JV 1, Huntington 11, Legacy Christian 1.