MANNFORD — A baseball game between the Cleveland Tigers and the Mannford Pirates on a cool Monday is usually a pretty good day—unless you were wearing Tiger stripes. It was not a good day to be a Tiger.
However, Pirate Cooper Ausbern? He had himself a fantastic day. Three hits in four at-bats, three RBIs, two singles and a home run blast that may or may not have ever come back down. Then, like a true Pirate, he claimed the high ground, and dealt death — spinning a one-hitter, allowing just two runs over seven innings as Mannford rolled to a 17-2 win. Holy moly.
Here’s the tea.
Overtaking the Tiger ship
Cleveland cut first, taking a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. That lasted about as long as it takes to properly load a cannon.
Ricky Morgan opened the bottom half, Major Hilton followed, and after Kayden Leslie moved things along, Cooper Ausbern stepped in, lit the fuse and fired the cannon, launching a two-run shot to left that didn’t just give Mannford the lead, it demoralized the Tiger infield, starting at the mound.
Corbin Mobley reached, Ryker Pollard ripped a single to score him, and just like that, it was 3-1 Pirates — a solid first frame.
Then came the second — the one that set the Tigers completely sideways.
Lyndon Hamilton reached. Max Moore followed. Ricky Morgan kept the pressure on. The pressure became too much and Mannford didn’t need to get hits — they forced mistakes. Errors stacked up, the bases filled, then, the Pirates set about dismantling the Cleveland rigging.
Kayden Leslie drew a walk that pushed a run across. Another error made it worse. Cooper Ausbern put the ball in play and mayhem followed — another run home. Corbin Mobley lifted a sacrifice fly. Ryker Pollard doubled to center to cap it.
Five runs. One hit. Total control on one side, chaos on the other.
8-1 — and they still weren’t done.
The boarding party
In the third, it was swords on the enemy deck and Mannford just kept on swinging.
Morgan got on. Hilton got on. Leslie, ever patient — walked again — his third free pass of the day — just a silent soldier doing his own brand of damage. Then Ausbern struck again, lining a single that plated yet another run.
From there it was just a keelhaul of the Tigers. Mobley moved runners. Hagen Anderson reached. And then Lyndon Hamilton stepped in and fired a two-run double to center, blowing a 12-1 hole in the Cleveland hull. A wild pitch added another run, because at that point, everything was going Mannford’s way.
By the end of three, it was 13-1. The game was technically over. They just hadn’t written the final out yet.
Swabbing the deck
The fourth inning was just Mannford making sure there was no doubt.
Hilton reached again. Leslie walked again. Ausbern singled again — his third hit of the day. Mobley added another sacrifice fly. Hamilton was hit by a pitch to bring one in, and Cooper Bartlett stepped in and lined a single to score another. Final, 17-2.
Statement made. Loudly.
The spoils
Ausbern, should be crowned the Pirate King, at least for the week, but let’s not overthink it, he owned this game. A home run, two catalyzing singles, three RBIs and five innings of one-hit baseball at the mound with seven strikeouts and zero walks. Cleveland never found rhythm against him — he never gave them a chance to.
The Pirate Crew
Ryker Pollard came in to Cleveland with swagger, he backed it with two hits, a double, and two RBIs.
Lyndon Hamilton drove in three runs, including the dagger double in the third.
Corbin Mobley knocked in two and played clean, fundamental baseball all night.
Kayden Leslie didn’t need a hit, he was the poster child of discipline — three walks, constant pressure, and three runs scored. That’s how you win baseball games.
Up and down the lineup, the Pirates didn’t just hit. They hunted, and backed up Ausbern so he could do his work.