Stanfield's 'really good' season continues in narrow W over Bearcats

BERNIE – There was little margin for error for either the Bernie High School or Dexter High School varsity baseball squads on Thursday. However, in the end, the Mules got a great outing on the mound, and at the plate, from junior Taylor Stanfield that proved to be the difference in a 2-1 Bernie win at Bernie High School.

“He’s been doing a really good job this year,” veteran Bernie coach Marcus Massey said of Stanfield following the victory. “He’s a junior now, and every year he has gotten better and better.”

Stanfield would be hard-pressed to top Thursday’s outing, as he limited the Bearcats (2-3) to just a couple of hits and one earned run through 4 1/3 innings.

“We made some errors that really hurt us,” second-year Dexter coach Steve Edwards said. “We’ve got to make the routine plays.”

In the opening inning, Bernie (5-2) took advantage of those Bearcat miscues when sophomore Leightin Hicks reached on an error.

Hicks advanced to third base on a sacrifice fly to center field by Cody Massey, and then came home on an RBI double by Stanfield for a 1-0 margin.

Stanfield wasn’t perfect, however. In the third inning, he hit Dexter hitter Jaxon Miller and followed that up by walking Nolan Alford.

Bearcat junior Beau Carrier, who was excellent on the mound, as well, drew a walk, which loaded the bases.

Miller tied the game at one on an RBI fielder’s choice by Bearcat junior Jackson Howard.

In all, Stanfield walked six and struck out five.

“(Stanfield) is not getting himself in trouble by giving up free baserunners,” Massey continued. “I know that he had a couple today, but they were spread out over several innings.”

In the sixth inning, sophomore Brayden Vaughn reached on a fielder’s choice, before scoring the winning run on a double from freshman Cane Hobgood.

Hobgood led the Mule offense with a pair of hits to go with one RBI while senior Jayden Robinette (two hits), Hicks (one run), Massey (one hit), Stanfield (one hit, one RBI), and Vaughn (one hit, one run) also contributed.

Robinette worked an inning in relief and allowed a couple of hits and a walk while striking out one.

Hicks closed the game with an inning thrown and gave up no hits or runs and walked one batter intentionally.

Carrier was very good on the mound, as he threw six innings, allowed seven hits, no earned runs, no walks, and struck out six.

“Beau did well on the bump,” Edwards said. “He stayed in his pitch count like we knew that he would. He threw around the plate. He had strikes with his curveball, which looked good, and his breaking ball.

“He even threw a knuckleball in there and it looked good.”

Alford had two hits and walked twice to pace Dexter while Justus Lovelady (one walk), Carrier (one RBI, two walks), Howard (one RBI), Gibson Booker (one hit), and Miller (one hit, one run, one walk) also were productive.

Bernie will host Advance (2-3) on Monday at 4:30 p.m.

Dexter will visit East Carter (6-2) on Monday at 4:30 p.m.