Neelyville senior says 'Goodnight' to Mules for first time in decade

BERNIE – The baseball programs at Bernie High School and Neelyville High School have disparate histories.

The Mules have strung together at least 13 consecutive winning seasons (that is as far back as MSHSAA details) and won four District championships during that span.

Conversely, the Tigers have enjoyed just two winning seasons in the past seven springs.

However, that trajectory may be adjusting, as Neelyville beat Bernie 11-10 in the Mules’ 2023 spring opening game on Monday at Bernie. The win was the first for the Tigers over the Mules since April 25, 2013.

“When the (MSHSAA Class 2 District 1) seeds came out last week,” first-year Neelyville coach Gary Dubar said, “Bernie was the number one seed. So, it’s a big win for us.”

The Tigers won just 11 games a year ago, but have already jumped out to a 3-1 mark this spring and still have 12 games remaining on their regular-season schedule.

Bernie led 10-8 in the top of the seventh inning and it appeared that long-reliever Jayden Robinette was going to hold on for the win.

He had relieved starter Reece Justice in the second inning and ended up working five innings and throwing 95 pitches (56 for strikes). However, after getting two of the first three Tiger hitters to strike out in that final inning, he had allowed a single by Bryce Dollins and walked Austin Sheppard.

On his second pitch to Neelyville senior Preston Goodnight, he threw a hittable pitch and Goodnight said just that to the ball, as he crushed a three-run homer for the final margin.

“It was pitching all day,” veteran Bernie coach Marcus Massey said. “We never worked ahead in counts. We were behind, behind, behind. We had too many walks and hit batters.

“It just was not a very good job on the mound today.”

Justice opened the game by allowing six earned runs on five hits while walking two before being relieved by Robinette.

Robinette allowed four earned runs on seven hits while striking out eight and walking four.

On the other side, Sheppard threw 5 2/3 innings for the Tigers (3-1) and allowed five earned runs on nine hits, while striking out two and walking four.

Sheppard threw 107 pitches, which was of no concern to Dubar.

“He stayed on the mound all winter,” Dubar said of Sheppard. “He’s in shape, so we didn’t have to worry about (his pitch count).

“We knew that he could do that.”

The Tigers took a 2-0 lead in their first at-bat, but the Mules came back with three runs in their initial plate appearance.

Neelyville answered with four more runs in the second for a 6-3 margin, but Bernie fought back with six runs in its second at-bat for a 9-6 lead.

The Tigers got a run back in the third inning and another in the sixth for a 9-8 Mule lead, but Bernie stretched it to 10-8 in the bottom of the sixth.

Sheppard (two RBI, one walk, three runs scored) and Goodnight (one run scored, four RBI, one walk) each had three hits to pace Neelyville, as did freshman Zak Cowley (three RBI and three runs).

Bernie senior Owen Bewley had three hits to go with his one RBI and two runs, while Justice (two hits, three runs), Seth Teel (two hits, one run, four RBI), and Robinette (two hits, one run) also contributed.

Bernie will visit Woodland (2-1) today at 4:30 p.m.

Neelyville will travel to Senath-Hornersville (0-1) today at 4:30 p.m.