MONROE, La. — Ruston High tallied another one into the win column Friday night after beating Neville 14-4 after six innings to extend the streak to 10 straight games and a perfect start in district play.
“It was another big win for us tonight going on the road and getting a win out at Neville,” Ruston High Head Coach Bryan Beck said. “The kids are playing well and the coaches are coaching well. It’s just a fun time to be a Bearcat.”
After a scoreless first inning for both teams, Ruston (16-6, 4-0 District 2-5A) put three runs on the board in the top of the second inning with junior Jackson Burroughs getting a bunt single and scoring junior Hudson Wood. Junior Jackson Lee would hit a ground ball into centerfield in the next at-bat, scoring senior Carter Love from third base. Senior Peyton Martin added another single afterward to score Burroughs and give Ruston a 3-0 lead.
The Bearcats put up another three-spot in the top of the third inning when sophomore John Parker Moak tripled to right field and scored sophomore Dillion Williams, who doubled in the previous at-bat. Junior Lander Smith then hit a sacrifice fly to left field to score Moak from third to put the Bearcats up 5-0. Senior Jake Simmons would hit into a fielder’s choice three batters later to score Love and give Ruston the 6-0 lead.
After Neville responded with a four-run bottom of the third inning, the Bearcats plated another runner in the top of the fourth inning with two outs when Moak doubled to center field and scored Martin to go up 7-4.
The Bearcats then tacked on six more runs in the top of the fifth inning — all with two outs. After the ‘Cats loaded the bases, Martin would draw a full count walk and score Simmons. Freshman Dalen Powell would score in the next at-bat on a steal to home, and Moak would get his second double on the night with a fly into left field, scoring both Lee and Martin to go up 11-4. Smith would reach on an error in the next at-bat to score both Wood and Moak for the 13-4 lead.
Ruston would get the final run it needed for the run-rule win in the top of the sixth inning after sophomore Sam Hartwell grounded out to third base to score sophomore Michael Brisco for the 14-4 final score.
Moak led the team in hitting on the night, going 3-for-4 at the play and getting four RBI, while Martin drove home two on the night, as well. As a team, the ‘Cats finished with 13 hits while working 19 players into the lineup and five pitchers on the mound.
“We had a lot of guys play tonight, which was good for us,” Beck said. “We’re trying to look down the road, and hopefully, we’ll make the playoffs and have a good feel of what we want to do in a three-game series with our starting pitching and our bullpen. Although we know want to have good starting pitching, it’s good to know you can go into the bullpen at anytime in any situation and we’re starting to trust certain guys in those situations.”
Senior David Griep got the start, going 2.2 innings and striking out four batters before senior Sam Specht can in for relief for 1.2 innings and two strike outs. Senior Eli Crawford, Lee and sophomore Colt Lary all saw time on the mound, with Lary recording the final out of the game.
“Specht can come in really anytime against anybody and get you out of a jam,” Beck said. “He pitched really well. Crawford also gave us some work tonight — he’ll go again in either the Monday or Tuesday midweek game and start. Then Jackson Lee, our centerfielder — he’s a really good left-handed pitcher who can come in for us and get a lefty batter out, and then Lary got to come in and close it out for us for the last out.”
The team also honored National Down’s Syndrome Day by wearing matching yellow and blue socks, which was after honoring the Bearcat Buddies program the night before.
“That means so much to me and my family — my middle child Billy Jack has Down’s Syndrome, and they love him in the locker room,” Beck said. “And Colt’s sister, Andie — she has that as well. So it was an honor for me to give Colt the ball to get the last out of the game tonight for us. That was great for our kids to be part of.”
The Bearcats and Tigers will play the final game of the three-game series Saturday at 1 p.m. in a home game for Ruston for Alumni Day.
“We’re excited about the chance for a clean sweep,” Beck said.
