Connally’s Zach Tobler went 6 and 1/3 innings and got all the offensive support he needed as the Cougars handed the visiting Bastrop Bears a 9-3 loss on Thursday night. The win improved Connally’s record to 10-7 while Bastrop drops to 3-10.

The game was never in doubt for the Cougars as they scored in all but one inning while limiting the Bears to runs in the first and sixth innings. Bastrop struck first when Catcher Cade Staton sent a solo shot over the left field wall in the top of the first after Tobler forced the first two Bears’ batters into grounding and flying out. Connally quickly responded however as they pushed three runs across in the bottom of the first. Back-to-Back RBI triples by Alex Torres and Dustin Babola were the highlights for the Cougars in their half of the first has they jumped on Bastrop pitcher Jaryd Hodgson early.

The Cougars’ kept their bats going in the third inning as Babola and Tobler sent singles into the outfield. Steven McMillan followed those at-bats with a two-run single that scored Babola and Hagen Katter (who came in as a pinch runner for Tobler).

After adding two more runs in the fourth and fifth innings the Cougars found themselves with a comfortable 7-1 lead at the end of five innings. Bastrop managed two runs in the sixth to close the deficit to 7-3, but the Cougars scored two runs of their own in the bottom half of the sixth to go back up by six runs. The highlights of the sixth inning for the Cougars were Tony Bryant’s solo shot over the left field wall that was followed shortly thereafter by a bases loaded single by Arisbel Pestana.

Connally’s Dominique Romo came in to relieve Tobler with one out in the top of the seventh and ended the game when Bastrop’s Colton Tucker hit into a double play.