The Mansfield Tigers kicked off their week with a 6-1 win over the Mountainburg Dragons on Monday, April 12. After seven innings, the Tigers walked away with their 11th victory of the season upgrading their total record to 11-5. Mansfield controlled the game all the way to the top of the seventh inning when the Dragons scooped up a run. Until then though, it was nothing but red for as far as the eye could see. Nathan Brewer got the Tigers on the board in the first inning when Fisher Willsey grounded into fielder’s choice. With zero action from Mountainburg or Mansfield in the second inning, the Tigers earned three runs in the third.
Aaron Brewer scored when Braxton Byers singled on a ground ball to left field. Next, Willsey and Byers both landed home when Drew Elmore singled on a ground ball to center field. The fourth inning saw Randy Claude being the home plate bandit as he earned an explosive steal setting the score to 5-0. The Tigers earned one final run in the fifth inning when courtesy runner, Trenton Leroy subbed in for Cody Fudge. Trey Vaughan doubled on a line drive to right field allowing Leroy to fly home. Pitcher Zayne Dugan held the Dragons with 96 pitches to 28 batters faced, and 63 total strikes. On the season so far, Dugan sits with 20 innings under his belt. He has earned 27 strikeouts, faced 81 batters, and made 306 pitches.
“Zayne only had a few mistakes and the defense played well enough to give us a chance to win,” stated Coach Layton Robinson. “Along with Zayne pitching a good game, everyone in the starting lineup recorded a hit and we did some good things on the base paths. We had a better approach at the plate against Mountainburg this time around and knew what we were looking for when we stepped in the box.” The next varsity game for the Tigers will be the Acorn Tigers on Thursday, April 15. “We don’t really worry about who the next opponent is,” continued Robinson. “We’re just focused on playing the best game we can and being better than the day before. With that being said, Acorn is coming off a big win over Lavaca so it will be important for us to play well.”
Photos courtesy of Summer Martin
