Senior Cubs play defensive battle with Ivy Rangers

Written By Brian Lockhart

The Mansfield Cubs hosted the Ivy Rangers at the diamond in Mansfield on Wednesday, July 5, in a very defensive game from both squads.

Much of the game was played in the air – literally – as fly ball after fly ball was launched and caught by both sides.

The result was a low-scoring game with very little action on the bases.

The first inning started with Ivy up to bat. They launched three fly balls, all caught to end the inning.

Mansfield fielder Logan Wallace made an outstanding left-field diving catch in the second inning.

After four scoreless innings, the Rangers were on the scoreboard in the fifth when Matt Barr hit a single-run home run over the left-field fence. 

They followed up with another run to lead the game 2-0.

In the bottom of the fifth, Tyler Sawyers singled, followed by a base hit from Cody Bryan that put two Mansfield players on base, but they couldn't finish, and the side retired.

Ivy scored again in the sixth inning when a sacrifice bunt brought in a run.

The Cubs again got two men on base in the sixth inning on hits from Jordan Metz and Devon Caldwell, but they could not score.

Mansfield was in scoring position in the seventh with a man on third, but again the side retired before they could score.

The game ended with a 3-0 Ivy win.

“The defence was really doing it, and they weren't easy plays,” summed up Mansfield coach Emerson Pendleton. “I'm very happy with the game as far as how we played. These guys [Ivy] are a top three team in the league. When we take a team like this the distance, it shows what we can do. We've got a schedule coming up where we can control our destiny if we want to crawl into the playoffs.”

The Cubs will be back on their home diamond in Mansfield on Sunday, July 16, to host the Midland Mariners.

Game time is 2:00 p.m.