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By Caleb Adams

Orange Leader

 

WEST ORANGE – The West Orange-Stark Mustangs fell to the Orangefield Bobcats 7-1 at Ronnie Anderson Park in West Orange on Tuesday evening.

Orangefield was able to jump out to an early lead in the first inning and never looked back. More often than not Orangefield was able to put up a crooked number to keep increasing their lead over West Orange and kept them at arm’s length.

Kent Michael would be the Bobcats’ top hitter this game, going 2-for-3 with a single, a double and a sac bunt and two runs batted in.

Michael was able to get the lineup moving in the two-hole and a big reason the Bobcats took the victory against the Mustangs.

The Bobcats jumped out on top first with a high home run to left field. Michael would get on with a single up the middle. With two outs Gunner Jones stepped up to the plate and belted a moon shot to left field for a two-run home run blast. That’s all the Bobcats would get, but they took a nice 2-0 lead after the top of the first inning.

The Mustangs answered with some offense of their own in the bottom of the first inning. William Robles hit a hard single to right field with one out already and advanced to second after a wild pitch from the Bobcats. Jalen Thompson would come up with two outs and smacked a single to left field down the line. The Mustangs only get the one run, but cut the Bobcats’ lead to 2-1 heading to the second inning.

Michael hit his second single in a row to get two more for the Bobcats. Ryan Trahan would bunt for a single and steal second base, Jacob Harvey took a pitch to the arm for a free bag and Tyler Washington would walk to load the bases. Michael smacked a liner down the left field line to score Trahan and Harvey from second and thirdas the Bobcats tooka 4-1 lead heading to the bottom of the second inning.

The Bobcats took advantage of Mustang errors to grow their lead in the top of the fourth inning. Trahan would reach on a walk and get moved over to second on a bunt. After two back to back errors in the field, the second one was an overthrow to second base on a steal and Trahan would take home on the miscue. Two back to back bunts from Washington and Michael would move around and score Harvey, who reached on a single to right center as the Bobcats took a commanding 6-1 lead heading to the bottom of the fourth inning.

Trahan brought in the next Bobcat run in the top of the fifth inning. Logan Gipson would reach on a walk and steal second base to put himself in scoring position. Trahan pushed one to shallow right field to let Gipson come around and score, giving the Bobcats a 7-1 lead in the top of the fifth inning.

The game would be called early due to fog on the field, but the Bobcats closed this one up before then with a great showing on the offensive side.

Kadeon Evans picked up the win on the mound for the Bobcats as he worked four innings and struck out three.