Mustangs, Cougars combined for 30 runs

There was no lack of scoring in Nixon-Smiley’s final non-district game of the season Tuesday night, as total of 30 runs were chalked up in seven innings of play against the Victoria Faith Academy Cougars.

The Mustangs had trouble fielding, giving up a whopping seven errors as opposed to the Cougars’ two errors. However, Nixon-Smiley made up for it with its bats by tying the game by the end of the second inning after giving up five early runs.

After a scoreless third inning, the bats started to fly again for Faith Academy in the fourth frame. The Cougars scored 10 runs to knock out starting pitcher Nick Pena. Jared Van Auken was called upon to stop the bleeding, as Pena finished the night giving up 15 runs (only seven of them earned), seven hits, seven walks and no strikeouts.

Nixon-Smiley answered with a lone run in the bottom half of the inning to cut the Cougar lead to 15-6.

With another Cougar run, the game looked bleak at best for the Mustangs on the short end of a 16-6 count. But Nixon-Smiley erupted for eight runs in the bottom of the sixth stanza, significantly cutting into the deficit for a 16-14 count.

After shutting down the Cougars in the top of the seventh inning, the Mustangs had a legitimate shot at finishing the comeback. Unfortunately, Nixon-Smiley came up scoreless for the two-run loss.

Raul Tovar led the Mustangs at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a walk and three RBIs. Jared Van Auken also had three RBIs while batting 2-for-4 with a walk. The Mustang batters garnered nine hits for the game, while drawing 13 walks against 13 strikeouts.

Van Auken finished on the mound, pitching 3-1/3 innings, giving up one earned run and four hits, while striking out five batters.

Nixon-Smiley hosts Halletsville at 7 p.m. Friday.