The News staff reports and The Orange Leader
NEDERLAND — The Nederland Bulldogs playoff lives still hang in the balance after a 5-3, eight-inning loss Tuesday to Goose Creek Memorial.
Nederland (12-11, 8-5) has a game against Lumberton on Friday to close out the regular season. The Raiders enter the game at 7-6 in District 22-5A so a Bulldogs win Friday in Lumberton would clinch a playoff spot for Nederland.
The Patriots scored two runs in the eighth off a leadoff single and then a double that scored a run. Goose Creek finished off the scoring on RBI fly ball to make it 5-3.
Zack Friesz was 1 for 4 with a RBI double for Nederland and Caine Williams finished 1 for 4 with a run scored. Austin Krautz had a RBI and both Case Babino and Justin Carr both scored a run. Brayden Credeur pitched three innings and gave up three runs on three hits with two strikeouts and three walks.
Brendon Dunkleberger tossed the final five innings and gave up two runs on two hits with five strikeouts.

PN-GROVES 16,
CENTRAL 1
BEAUMONT — Josh Hranicky and Trey Toney combined for a one-hitter Tuesday as the Port Neches-Groves Indians clinched a share of the District 22-5A championship.
The Indians did so with a 16-1 win over the Central Jaguars.
Hranicky tossed three innings and gave up no hits with seven strikeouts. Toney threw the final four innings and gave up one run on one hit with three strikeouts.
Toney had two RBI and a double at the plate.
Jacob Vaughn was 3 for 5 with two runs, two RBI and a double and Dylan Roberts was 2 for 2 with a RBI double and a run scored.
Austin Bost was 2 for 3 with two runs, Ryan Leckich had three RBI and a double, Logan LeJeune had three runs and a RBI, Cole Girouard scored twice, Dylan McGough was 1 for 2 and Adam Morse was 1 for 2 with a run and two RBI. Holden Lane was 1 for 3 with a run scored and a RBI double.
The Indians can win the district title outright with a win Friday over Vidor. PN-G hosts the Pirates at 6 p.m.

LC-MAURICEVILLE 7,
WO-STARK 6
WEST ORANGE — The race for third and fourth-place in District 24-4A is heating up with the West Orange-Stark Mustangs trying to hang on to third place and avoiding facing the number one seed in the first round of the postseason.
The Mustangs played host to the Little Cypress-Mauriceville Bears Tuesday hoping to end a three-game skid. The game would be another down-to-the-wire event leaving the Mustangs looking for answers as they lost 7-6 to the surging Bears. The Mustangs are 1-5 in their last six appearances after once being the first place team in the district.
The Bears improved to 5-6 in 24-4A play while the Mustangs slipped to 6-5.
LC-M hosts Orangefield Friday while WO-S visits Silsbee.
LC-M’s Mitchell Lee smashed the game winning home run over left center field.

SOFTBALL
ORANGEFIELD 3,
WO-STARK 2
LITTLE CYPRESS — Riding the bat of Kinley McFarlin and a strong complete game on the mound by Kaylee Ancelot, the Orangefield Lady Bobcats earned the fourth-place playoff berth out of District 24-4A by defeating the Little Cypress-Mauriceville Lady Bears 3-2 Tuesday night at Lady Bear Field.
Both teams finished the regular district season at 6-6 to force the fourth-place play-in game.
Trailing 2-0 in the top of the fourth, it was McFarlin’s three-run double to right-centerfield that made the difference in the game.
Ancelot went the distance on the hill, allowing just three hits while striking out seven and walked five.
The Lady Bobcats will face 23-4A champion Liberty in the 4A bidistrict playoffs Friday at 7 p.m. at Baytown Lee High School.
Breanna Frenzel and Jenna James both pitched well for the Lady Bears.
Frenzel started and worked four innings, allowing three hits while striking out five and walking two. James tossed the final three frames, allowing a hit while fanning four.