Hardin hadn't done well against Orangefield recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Friday. The Hornets won by a run and slipped past the Bobcats 6-5. That's the second time they've managed to beat them this season, as they also won 1-0 on Wednesday.
Lleyton Berry made a splash no matter where he played. He tossed six innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off two hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two hits in three consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-4 with two runs and one double.

Jayden Phelps
| 04/17/26 vs Orangefield | 3 |
| 03/20/26 vs Kirbyville | 2 |
| 02/26/26 vs Alief Elsik | 2 |
| 04/04/25 @ East Chambers | 2 |
| 02/20/25 vs Jasper | 2 |
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Jayden Phelps, who got on base in all four of his plate appearances with three RBI and one double. Those three RBI gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Kolten Bishop, who went 1-for-4 with one home run.
The win (which was Hardin's fourth in a row) raised their record to 16-8. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.0 runs over those games. As for Orangefield, their defeat ended a seven-game streak of away wins and brought them to 20-7.
We've got plenty of inter-district action coming up soon. Hardin is set to take on their familiar foe Buna at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Orangefield will square off against rival East Chambers at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (the Bobcats 2.3, the Buccaneers 3.3) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps