Playing in game one of a three game series Tuesday night, the Bogue Chitto Bobcats beat the West Lincoln Bears 8-5.

Taking the lead early in the game, the Bears found themselves trailing as the game got late. West Lincoln rallied in the sixth inning to tie up the game at five all. A two-run home run and an RBI single in the seventh put the Bobcats on top and gave them the win.

“The pitching was great for us,” said Bogue Chitto senior Trey Nettles. “I pitched really good. I threw strikes and the defense looked out for me.”

The Bobcats scored the first run of the game. Senior Tanner Gunther got the base running started with a single. Senior Conner Price reached after drawing a two-out walk. Nettles drove in the game’s first run with his RBI single, before the Bears were able to get the final out.

West Lincoln took the lead in their half of the first. Junior Gavin Burris led off with a single. Working the count full, junior Garrett Maxwell drew a walk. Senior Kylar Fielder reached first safely on a Bobcats error, which scored the Bears’ first run of the game.

Senior Landon Lynch gave West Lincoln the lead with a two-run RBI single, before Bogue Chitto was able to stop the damage, striking out the next two batters.

“I felt like my pitching went great,” said West Lincoln sophomore Parker Travis. “The hitting and pitching was the difference in the game.”

After a rough start, both pitchers settled down into a pitching duel, not allowing another run to be scored until the fifth inning.

“We came out a little slow at first,” said Bogue Chitto senior Tucker Lambert. “About the fourth inning we started seeing the ball come out of his hand and started getting hot.”

Bogue Chitto took the lead batting in the top half of the fifth. With two outs and runners on first and second, Lambert belted a three-run home run out of right center field. West Lincoln prevented the Bobcats from scoring any more, getting out of the inning on a strike out and fly ball.

Bogue Chitto scored one run in the sixth. With two outs and runners on the corners, junior Bryce Langley delivered an RBI single. The Bears, trailing 5-3, responded in their half of the sixth by scoring two runs to tie up the game.

Looking at one out and runners on the corners, sophomore Grant Jackson drove in a run on an RBI single. West Lincoln would score one more run off of a wild pickoff throw to second base by the Bobcats.

“I thought Trey Nettles pitched an outstanding game,” said Bogue Chitto coach Gareth Sartin. “We had a little rough first inning. He settled down after that and pitched extremely well for us. I’m real proud of my team. We were down and came back, got the lead and they came back and tied it up. We came back in the top of the seventh and were able to get the runs. We played a very good bottom of the seventh to close it out.”

The Bobcats’ Gunther started the seventh drawing a walk. Lambert broke the tie on his two-run RBI home run. Sophomore Shaw King sealed the deal with his RBI single, giving the Bobcats an 8-5 win.

“Bogue Chitto’s starting pitcher threw very well and gave them definitely a chance to win,” said West Lincoln coach David Gilbert. “It was one of those games that went back and forth, but Lamberts’ two home runs were kind of the nail in the coffin. But I thought it was a good game and thought both pitchers threw well. We’ll try to go back and get two.”

Nettles started on the mound for the Bobcats, pitching all seven innings, giving up five hits, four runs, one earned, and striking out five batters for the win.

Travis stared the game for the Bears, giving up five hits, five runs, striking out six batters. Senior Kylar Fielder pitched in relief, two strike outs, three hits and three runs, and took the setback on the mound.

Sophomore Travis Hall had a double for West Lincoln. Burris and Fielder each hit a single. Lynch had a single and two RBIs. Senior Gabe Nations hit safely with a single, and Jackson finished the hitting for the Bears with a single.

Lambert had two home runs and five RBIs for the Bobcats. Langley had two singles and an RBI. Sophomore Shaw King had two singles one stolen base and an RBI. Nettles had three singles, two stolen bases and an RBI. Gunther finished the hitting for Bogue Chitto with two singles and three stolen bases.  Sophomore Ethan Gladden had one stolen base.

Bogue Chitto, 6-6 overall, 3-4 in Region 7-2A, will host West Lincoln, 8-7 overall, 3-1 in Region 7-2A, today, for games two and three weather permitting.

Story by Dave Linton