Mansfield Cubs just can’t get a break

June 24, 2016 · 0 Comments

By Brian Lockhart

Baseball can be a frustrating sport at times. Sometimes you play a good game and you just can’t come out on top.

The Mansfield Cubs are going through a slump and it’s not because they aren’t playing well, they just aren’t scoring.

The Cubs hosted the Creemore Braves on Wednesday night, June 15, at the Mansfield diamond and were squeezed out 3-1 in the final result. It was the seventh loss in a row.

“It was a good game,” said coach George Linger. “We had some hits earlier but the bats fell silent at the end. In the first four innings we had five guys in scoring position; we just couldn’t get them in. [Creemore is] a good defensive team. They had everything working for them tonight. They had good pitching and good defence. They stole quite a few bases on us tonight. We just couldn’t get hits. We’re getting on base then when we need the big hit, we just can’t find that bat.”

The Cubs opened the scoring in Wednesday’s game in the first inning when Bill Hawkins took a sacrifice bunt to put a man on second base.

That was followed up with a single to left field by Brad Caldwell that bought enough time for a runner to round third and cross the plate.

The game was tied in the third inning when the Braves capitalized on an error at second base that allowed a runner to advance to third.

The Creemore squad scored when the next play was forced to first base allowing runner to make the run for home.

The Braves took the lead in the fourth inning when they loaded the bases then brought in a single run.

The big play of the night took place in the fifth inning when a Creemore runner made a gutsy play and stole home plate for the third Braves run.

Going into the sixth inning, the Cubs tried to get back in the game starting with a hit from Brad Pendleton and a successful steal at second, but the inning ended on an infield fly.

The Cubs had their last chance in the seventh inning but had to settle for the loss.

The squad took their second loss of the week on Sunday, June 19, when the travelled to Barrie to take on the Angels at Dana Field.

The club took a 7-0 loss to Barrie.

The Cubs will return to the diamond at Mansfield on Sunday, June 26, when they host the Aurora Jays.

The first pitch is scheduled 6 p.m.