By Caleb Adams

Leader Correspondent

 

BRIDGE CITY — Getting a near masterful performance from sophomore pitcher Peyton Havard, the Bridge City Cardinals shut out the Little Cypress-Mauriceville Bears in front of a nearly capacity crowd in a big District 22-4A affair at Cardinal Field Tuesday night.

Havard went the distance, tossing a complete-game one-hitter while striking out five as the Cardinals (14-7, 3-0) remain perfect in 22-4A play while the Bears (20-4, 2-1) absorbed their first district loss.

The Bears had a hard time finding success after finding runners on base with walks. Meanwhile the Cardinals were able to take advantage of those spots to win the game.

Truman Franklin absorbed the loss on the hill for the Bears.

Havard was on the good side of some early defensive plays from the Cardinals to get out of a couple of tough spots. He was also pitching well, which helps when you get early runs too.

Bridge City threw the first punch with a run in the bottom of the first. Caleb Dubois would lead off with a single, and was knocked in by Justyn Romero on an infield hit as the Cardinals took a 1-0 lead after one.

Another Cardinals came home in the bottom of the third inning. Dubois smacked a double down the left side to set up Schuyler Thibodaux to bring him in with a long single to left-center. Up to this point the Cardinals lead the Bears in hits with four, to the Bears’ none as the Redbirds took a 2-0 lead after three innings.

Case Skinner scored the Cardinals’ third run of the game on a bad throw on a pickoff play. Skinner was pinch running for Havard, who reached base on a walk. That’s all the Cardinals would get in the inning but they took a solid 3-0 lead after five innings complete.

Havard helped himself by knocking in two runs in the bottom of the sixth to extend the lead. Cameron Yadon and Jackson Tims both scored on an error by the Bears, off of another error in the field on Havard’s hit.

The Bears head into their final at-bat, facing Havard again, down five, and without a hit so far in the game until Slade Green belted a hit in the top of the seventh.

The two teams will battle once again this week as the Cardinals travel to LC-M to take on the Bears at Gibbens Field.