Thanks to a strong pitching performance by Casey Ryan and some key runs late in the game, the Bears held on to defeat the Tigers in a key District 3-1A game Friday afternoon.

“The first two or three innings we were a little shaky, but after that we just played real good,” Block head coach Scott Green said. “(Casey) pitched well and we played well.”

Ryan, the winning pitcher, went all seven innings on the mound for Block. He gave up four runs on two hits and four walks, two of them intentional while striking out 11. He settled down after giving up two runs each in the first and third innings, pitching four straight innings of scoreless ball.

Block chased Montgomery starting pitcher Blake Graves out of the game after just two innings. The Bears scored four runs on four hits and two walks off Graves for a 4-2 lead.

Graves, the losing pitcher, was relieved by Cody LaBorde, who allowed three runs on four hits and two walks while striking out five in five innings.

“He did a good job for five innings,” Green said of LaBorde. “We struggled against him. He’s a tough little baseball player.”

One player who continued to hit the ball well for Block (13-13, 7-3) was Dustin Winborne, who went 2-for-3.

“Dustin’s now eight for his last 11,” Green said. “He’s on fire. He has the worst swing I’ve ever seen. He’s just one of those kids you don’t fool with. He has an awkward swing and he hits the ball hard and flat.”

The Bears broke a 4-4 tie with one run in the top of the fifth inning and two in the top of the sixth. Ethan Trisler went 2-for-4 with a double and scored two runs while Justin Winborne scored two runs and had one RBI.

Block will travel to Jena to take on LaSalle Monday at 6 p.m. with second and third place in District 3-1A on the line.

The winner will stay at home and face Northlake Christian of Covington in the bi-district round. That won’t be an easy task because Northlake Christian is ranked No. 8 in Class 1A. The loser of that game will hit the road to Monroe to take on St. Frederick, ranked No. 3 in Class 1A.