Bearcats win two in a row in district

Consistency has plagued the Aledo Bearcats since starting District 5-5A baseball action back in March. The club has appeared virtually unbeatable in one game, only to lose the next due to a lack of discipline.

As the season winds down, it seems Aledo (17-10 overall, 6-3 in District 5-5A) is figuring out how to remain consistent with each trip to the ballpark. Superb outings on the hill by Robert Burk on Friday, April 14, and again on Tuesday, April 18 by Matthew Clark went a long way toward helping the Bearcats establish the elusive consistency they’ve needed as they beat Northwest and Azle by scores of 5-3 and 5-0, respectively.

Through it all, the Bearcats were sitting atop the district standings at press time, a half game ahead of Wichita Falls Rider (6-4) and a full game up on Azle (5-4). The Bearcats are at Azle on Friday, April 21 and have a there-and-home series against Rider next Tuesday and Friday, April 25 and 28. All games start at 7 p.m.

On Tuesday while facing Azle at Bearcat Ballpark, Clark was absolutely dazzling. Aledo’s right-hander threw a two-hit, complete-game shutout while striking out 13 Hornets. Clark pounded the zone like it stole something. Of the 25 batters he faced in the game, he started off 21 of the at-bats with a thrown strike.

“That’s two solid outings for him in a row,” said head coach Chad Barry. “He’s been really sharp as of late. He keeps the ball down in the zone, mixes his pitches up well, moves his fastball around in the zone. I couldn’t be happier for him. In a big, big game where we needed to start off this four-game stretch to end the season, this one was a big one. He came out and pitched a gem!”

The only two blemishes on his stat line came late in the game when he surrendered a walk in the sixth inning and then started off the seventh hitting a batter with the 3-2 offering.

Likewise, saying Burk had a quality start against Northwest on Friday would be an understatement. Coming off a loss to the Texans days before, Aledo needed a strong outing from their hurler.

Burk delivered.

He tossed five complete innings allowing just two hits all while keeping the Texans scoreless before turning it over to the bullpen in the sixth inning.

“The good thing does for us, is we’ve got all hands available for Friday’s game. That’s going to be a tough game,” Barry said. “ ace will be on the mound over there in Azle. I think his stat line his last outing was he gave up two hits and had 14 strikeouts up at Wichita Falls. It’ll be a dog fight. I think it’s good that we’ll have our full arsenal available to us just in case it gets drug out over several innings.”

Thompson, Dwinell, and Mazon stay hot at the top of the lineup

Through the struggles the Bearcats have faced in the last month, the bats of second baseman Boyd Thompson, leftfielder Brooks Dwinell, and shortstop Trace Mazon have been as reliable as night following day.

On Friday, Mazon made a trip around the bases the hard way with an inside-the-park home run in the bottom of the fifth inning for the Bearcats’ only extra-base hit of the contest.

In Tuesday’s game, Dwinell and Mazon combined for the two extra-base hits of the game for Aledo. Dwinell doubled in the bottom of the first to drive in Thompson for the first run. Mazon once again pulled off some fifth-inning magic when he doubled down the left-field line to drive in Dwinell from second, putting Aledo up 4-0 at that point.

Meanwhile, Thompson has hit in each of the last four district games. In that time he’s gone 5-for-11 (.454 average) with three walks making his on-base percentage a staggering .571.

Aledo 5, Azle 0

Tuesday, April 18
Azle        000 000 0 - 0   2   1
Bearcats      100 220 X - 5   7   1
Aledo hitting: Boyd Thompson, 1-for-3, BB; Brooks Dwinell, 2-for-3, 2B, SB, RBI; Trace Mazon, 1-for-3, 2B, RBI; Bosten Dwinell, BB, SB; Andrew Cambre, 1-for-3, RBI; Ryan Jones, 1-for-3, 2 RBI; Garrett Rester, 1-for-3.
Aledo pitching: Matthew Clark, 7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, BB, HP, 13 K.

 

Euless Trinity 12, Aledo 10

Saturday, April 15
Bearcats 020 130 4 - 10  10  4
Trinity 330 060 X - 12   9   0
Aledo hitting: Brooks Burdine, 4 BB, SB; Br. Dwinell, 1-for-3, RBI; Brennon Evans, BB, RBI; Bo. Dwinell, 1-for-4, RBI, BB; Dylan Light, 1-for-3, RBI, 2 BB; Luke Saunders, 1-for-5, RBI; Jake Bumgardner, BB; Luke Taylor, 2-for-4, 2B; Weston Nance, 3-for-3, 2B, SB, 3 RBI, BB; Ben Carruthers, 1-for-3, RBI, BB.
Aledo pitching: Bryce McCain, 1 IP, 2 H, 3 R (0 earned), BB, 2 K; Jenson Huffman, 1 IP, 4 H, 3 R (3 earned), BB; Eddie Howard, 1 IP, HP, K; Bo. Dwinell, 1.2 IP, H, 5 R (0 earned), 2 BB; Jon Paulsen, 0.1 IP, 2 H, R (earned), BB; Jones, 1 IP, 2 K.

 

Aledo 7, Northwest 3

Friday, April 14
Northwest 000 000 3 - 3   5  2
Bearcats 012 020 X - 5   7  0
Aledo hitting: Thompson 1-for-2, BB; Br. Dwinell BB; Mazon 1-for-1, HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB; Cambre 1-for-2, 2 RBI; Rester BB; McCain 1-for-3, 2B; Jones 1-for-3, RBI, SB; Dylan Taylor 2-for-2; Burdine 2 SB.
Aledo pitching: Bumgardner, 1.2 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, HP, 4 K; L. Taylor, 0.1 IP; Robert Burk (win), 5 IP, 2 H, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, HP, 1 K; Mazon, 0 IP, BB, HP.