FORDYCE - Austin Howard and Jase Bishop held Fordyce to two hits as the Woodlawn Bears made quick work of the Redbugs with a 12-0 victory in five innings Tuesday afternoon at Fordyce.
Woodlawn improved to 20-3 overall and 9-0 in league play with the 8-2A conference win. It was the Bears' 10th consecutive win.
As of Tuesday, April 18, Woodlawn held a three-game lead over the Ouachita Warriors in the 8-2A standings with the Bears having three conference games left. Should Woodlawn win any of those it would clinch the 8-2A championship.
The Bears began to take control of Fordyce in the second inning when Jaxson Raney smashed a bases-loaded triple to drive in three runs, and Dillon Lunsford grounded out to score Raney, making it 4-0.
Woodlawn began cashing in on the 11 walks that the Redbugs issued in the game as the Bears added five more runs in the fourth off four walks, a hit batter and back-to-back singles by Tate Hall and Raney.
The Bears invoked the 10-run rule by adding three more runs in the top of the fifth.
With one out, Brayden Jones singled and Garrett Weatherford followed with a walk to put two aboard. Owen Stover then doubled to left scoring both and Jayden Wilmoth followed with a sacrifice fly to score Stover , making it 12-0.
Howard got himself out of a pitching jam in the first inning to survive and get the victory.
After retiring the first two batters he faced in the bottom of the first, the next two both got hits and a hit batter loaded the bases. However, Howard struck out the next batter to turn back the threat.
That would be as close as Fordyce would get to scoring as the 'Bugs managed to get just one runner to second over the next four innings.
Howard settled in nicely after hitting that rough patch in the opening frame. He did not allow any more hits after those two in the first and he gave up just one walk while striking out six over three inni...
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