Cubs host New Lowell in Mansfield

July 23, 2015 · 0 Comments

The Mansfield Cubs took an early 1–0 lead in Wednesday’s (July 15) NDBL game against the New Lowell Knights at the Mansfield diamond and after four fast innings they were leading 4–3.
It was the mid-game innings that took the toll when the Knights had a flurry of activity in the sixth that won the game beginning with a home run single in the fifth that tied the game at four then got the go ahead run with a single that brought a runner across the plate to lead by one in the fifth.
Luke Newmaster started on the mound for the Cubs against an experienced first place team.
New Lowell had an outstanding sixth inning with some well placed hits that dropped shallow in the outfield that gave them some time to round the bases.
With bases loaded the Knights went ahead by five on a single.
The play of the night had to be a risky home plate steal when a New Lowell player went against the odds and took an early lead off and sprinted to the plate and slid for another run to make it a 10–4 game with one inning left.
The Cubs made a switch on the mound putting in Emerson Pendleton for the rest of the game.
Mansfield got one more run for the game in the bottom of the sixth when an error on the throw to first base turned a single into a man on third base. A tag up on the next hit brought a base runner across the plate.
With one more at-bat, the Cubs put up a good effort and manged to get two men on base, but the game ended with an out a first base.
The final was 10–5 for New Lowell.
“It was a good game – we jumped out to a 1–0 lead,” said Emerson Pendleton who pitched the final innings. “There was a tight defence and good play all around.”
The New Lowell team came to Mansfield as the first place team having lost only two games this season and playing to a tie three times. They have 18 wins behind them so the Cubs knew it was going to take their best effort.
“We do play up to the competition,” Pendleton said. “We knew we were in tough, but we were solid and efficient tonight.”
With six games left on the scheduled and slotting in at eighth place in the standings, the Cubs are now playing for a playoff berth.
Only eight teams make the NDBL playoffs and there are five teams hovering around the number eight spot in the League so it will be a battle over the next couple of weeks as teams try to get those extra point and move up in the standings.
The Cubs will be back on the Mansfield diamond on Wednesday (July 22) to host the Clearview Orioles.
Their final regular season home game will get underway on Sunday, July 26, against the Angus Black Sox, in Mansfield.
The first pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m.

By Brian Lockhart

Photos by Brian Lockhart
The Mansfield Cubs host the New Lowell Knights on the diamond in Mansfield on Wednesday, July 15. After taking an early 1–0 lead, then playing to a tie in the fourth inning, the Cubs fell behind in the sixth and had to settle for a 10–5 loss.