Hazy defense equals district-opening loss to Mustangs
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Pitching, defense and timely hitting had been the mainstay for the Bay City Blackcats in rolling up a 7-2 pre-district record. In Tuesday’s District 23-4A opener, Blackcat pitching showed up, but defense and timely hitting were lost in the thick fog rolling in from the Gulf of Mexico, resulting in a 3-2 loss to Lamar Consolidated.
“I am not used to seeing that,” said Blackcat skipper Robert Rayos. “We gave them three runs and several extra outs that cost us the game.”
Indeed, all three Mustang runs were unearned. The first came with the Cats up 1-0 in the third when a potential inning-ending double play should have kept Bay City ahead; however, a costly throw in the dirt allowed Lamar Consolidated to tie the score at 1-1.
The Blackcats retook the lead in the fourth when Kevin Landgrebe reached on an error and Jacob Lara singled to put runners at first and second with no outs. Austin Smith then launched a 1-2 pitched over the centerfielder’s head to plate Landgrebe and go ahead 2-1.
However, Bay City stranded runners at second and third with two costly strikeouts and a groundout.
“We had runners at third base with less than two outs three times in the ballgame and couldn’t score,” said Rayos. “You can’t do that and expect to win too many games.”
The Mustangs got things going in the fourth after a one-out error by Blackcat shortstop DJ Dominguez. Catcher Matt Ditman singled to put runners at the corners with one out. Rayos then went to his bullpen and summoned Lara who coaxed a ground ball that was muffed by Smith at first base to tie the game at 2-2. An errant throw by Dominguez resulted in another run and the lead for the Mustangs at 3-2.
“They got two runs in the fourth and never hit the ball out of the infield,” said Rayos.
Meanwhile, Mustang starter Fernando Pena got stronger as the game went deeper, striking out seven Blackcats in the final four frames.
Bay City made things interesting in the bottom of the seventh when Andrew Pena led off with a double. AJ Flores sacrificed Pena to third with a bunt, but Dominguez and LaDarian Stone struck out to end the game.
Flores (3-1) got the tough-luck loss, working 4 2/3 innings and giving up only four hits. Lara silenced Mustang hitters by working 2 2/3 innings of no-hit ball while striking out six.
Bay City (7-3, 0-1) returns to action today in the Gulf Coast Invitational Tournament in Freeeport at Brazosport High School in an 11 a.m. contest against Galveston Ball. The Cats play two games Friday, an 11 a.m. tilt with district foe Terry, and a 1:30 p.m. game with Houston Furr, and finish tournament play with an 11 a.m. contest with South Houston Saturday.
Bay City gets back to district action March16 with a home contest against Foster, an 11-1 winner over El Campo Tuesday night.