A young 0-6 Mansfield baseball team was simply struggling before the program itself was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame on Thursday, Sep. 17.
It appears the young Lions were inspired by the team’s rich history as they have won three of their four games since the ceremony.
After a documented 15-0 win over Fordland one day after the ceremony, the Lions had a match-up with previously unbeaten Norwood, a team they lost to in their season opener.
In the rematch, the Lions needed extra innings
Brayden Barnett’s one-out single in the top of the 11th inning scored Kile Gray off Toby Cottengim gave the Lions a 4-3 victory.
Cottengim picked up the tough loss in spite of five innings in relief. He only allowed one run on three hits with three strikeouts.
For Norwood, Garrett Davault started the game and allowed two earned runs on seven hits with one strikeout over three innings. Jacob Sinning then tossed three innings and allowed one earned run on two hits with four strikeouts.
For the Lions, Kellar Davis picked up the win in relief after tossing four and one third innings of shutout ball. He gave up just four hits and recorded six strikeouts.
Barnett started the game lasting four and a third innings. He gave up no runs, one hit and had six strikeouts. Dylan Henry tossed two and a third innings allowing just one earned run on one hit with two strikeouts.
Offensively, the Lions were paced by Madix Gray’s three hits and one run scored. Both Barnett and Davis had a pair of hits and one RBI while Gray had the game-winning hit after drawing four walks in his earlier at-bats. Tanner Indendi scored one run.
After defeating the Pirates, the Lions crushed Spokane three days later, 12-1.
Mansfield scored three runs or more in three different innings behind a 13-hit attack.
Barnett led Mansfield with four hits, three RBIs and three runs scored. Chade Noble, Carter Brooke, Kaden Coble, London Dennis, Henry and Indendi each had one RBI. Brooke, Henry and Davis each scored two runs in the win.
Chade Noble tossed four innings on the mound after allowing one earned run on three hits while striking out nine. Henry tossed one inning of shutout ball
and allowed no hits.
The Lions’ streak ended on Friday, Sep. 25 when they traveled to Licking and lost 11-10 on a Licking walk-off RBI single in spite of Mansfield outhitting them, 18-8.
Licking’s offense drew 12 walks in their win over Mansfield.
Chade Noble had four hits, one RBI and two runs scored to lead the Mansfield Lions offense.
Madix Gray tallied three hits, one RBI and one run scored while Davis had three hits, one RBI and two runs scored. Kaden Coble had two RBIs while Brooke scored two runs.
Henry tossed two innings on the mound and allowed one earned run on three hits with three strikeouts.
Dylan Robertson tossed three and two thirds innings and gave up three earned runs on three hits with one strikeout and six walks. Barnett and Coble combined to toss one inning and allowed just one earned run.
