The Okeechobee Brahman varsity baseball team improved to 4-1 on the year after they took advantage of some critical miscues by the South Fork Bulldogs and secured a 3-1 victory on March 7.

The game against the Bulldogs took place in the middle of a three-game home stretch for the Brahmans. Sebring traveled to Okeechobee back on March 5 and were able to leave with a 2-0 victory, and on March 11 Centennial will be visiting to play ball against the Brahmans.

Ethyn Durfee was on the pitcher’s mound to start the game for the Brahmans and delivered four solid innings that kept the Bulldogs off the scoreboard. Durfee struck out six on the night and threw 10 first-strike pitches against the Bulldog batters.

Offensively, the Brahmans were able to get on the board thanks to some miscues and errors by the Bulldog defense. Brahman Ozzy Osceola was able to come home from third base after a pitch got past the South Fork catcher in the second inning and let Okeechobee go up 1-0.

A triple by Brahman Lucas Osceola in the bottom of the fourth increased Okeechobee’s lead to 2-0. L. Osceola sent a grounder blistering between first and second base that got past the Bulldog defense and brought home Brahman Brady Markham.

The bottom of the fifth saw South Fork make some more crucial mistakes that the Brahmans were able to take advantage of.

Okeechobee had runners on first and third and were threatening to increase their lead. Brahman Eric Calderon took off from first base in an attempt to steal second, and the ensuing throw from South Fork’s catcher sailed over the second baseman’s head, allowing L. Osceola to score from his position at third and put Okeechobee up 3-0.

The Bulldogs were eventually able to bring in one run thanks to a shallow two-out pop-up in left field that ended up bringing in a runner from second, but that’s as close as South Fork was able to get.

Ozzy Osceola closed the game out on the mound for Okeechobee, getting two strikeouts and allowing only two hits in two innings.

The Brahmans will take the field again at 7 p.m. on March 11 in Okeechobee against the 1-2-1 Centennial Eagles.