CUBS BEAT RUDDER 13-4 TO GET DISTRICT WIN

Doug Brown April 3, 2024

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The Brenham Cub Baseball Team defeated the Rudder Rangers 13-4 last (Tuesday) night at Fireman's Park to earn their first win of the season.

Freshman pitcher Luke Hardy got the win after pitching all seven innings. He scattered eight hits, allowing four runs, only two were earned, and struck out six.

Rudder got things started with a run on a sacrifice fly in the top of the second to take an early 1-0 lead.

The Cub offense then exploded for six runs in the bottom of the second. Hardy led it off by drawing a walk. Brody Hemann came in as a courtesy runner. Landry Mendoza laid down a bunt, and beat it out for a hit. Grady Gee laid down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners up. Tanner Reese followed with an RBI single to bring in Hemann with the tying run. Dawson Keim came in to courtesy run for Reese. Austin Maurer reached on a bunt single to load the bases. Owen Finke was then hit by a pitch, which scored Mendoza with the go head run to give Brenham a 2-1 lead.

Brady Rau singled in Keim put the Cubs up 3-1. Barrett Kohring followed by reaching on an error, which allowed Maurer and Finke to come in and increase the Brenham lead to 5-1. Drake Bentke walked and Rau scored to give the Cubs a 6-1 advantage.

Rudder got one of the runs back in the top of the fourth on a sacrifice fly to cut the Brenham led to 6-2.

Brenham tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the fourth. Bentke singled, and Hardy doubled. Mendoza followed with a two-run single to make it 8-2.

In the top of the fifth, Rudder took advantage of some Cub miscues in the field to add two unearned runs. That cut the Brenham lead to 8-4.

The Cubs put the game away with five runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. Reese drew a leadoff walk, and Keim was brought back in to run for Reese. Austin Maurer reach on another bunt single, Brady Rau walked to load the bases. Keim scored on an RBI single by Kohring. Bentke, Hardy, and Gee followed with bases loaded walks that made it 12-4. Bentke scored the final run on an RBI single by Tanner Reese.

Hardy retired the last six batters he faced including striking out the last two to seal the win.

HITTING

Tanner Reese 3-3 three singles, walk, 2 RBIs

Landry Mendoza 2-3 two singles, walk, single, 2 RBIs

Austin Maurer 2-4 two singles, two runs

Drake Bentke 1-2 single, two walks, two runs, RBI

Luke Hardy 1-2 double, two walks, RBI

Brady Rau 1-3 single, walk, two runs, RBI

Barrett Kohring 1-4 single, run, 3 RBIs

PITCHING

Luke Hardy 7 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 6 K's

DISTRICT 21-5A SCORES