CULLMAN, Ala. – After sweeping a doubleheader against Madison Academy in dramatic fashion Friday night, the Bearcats returned home to Bill Shelton Field on a rainy Tuesday evening to open up area play against Decatur. Kaleb Heatherly got the start on the mound and made quick work of the Red Raiders, pitching seven shutout innings, allowing just five hits and striking out 13.
Decatur led off the top of the first with a pair of singles and threatened to put some runs on the board early but Heatherly struck out the next three batters he faced to get out of the jam. Matt Brock led off the bottom of the first with a single into left field and Hayden Stancil later drew a walk to give the ‘Cats a pair of base runners but they couldn’t get anything out of it, and we went to the second still scoreless.
After Heatherly worked through a quick frame in the top of the second, Cullman took a 1-0 lead in the bottom half of the inning when Paxton Ponder singled up the middle to drive in Max Dueland. Heatherly struck out two of three batters he faced in the top of the third, but the Bearcats weren’t able to plate any runs in the third either.
Heatherly punched out three more Red Raiders in the top of the fourth and in the bottom half of half of the inning, Cullman created some more separation. After a double from Max Dueland, Jake Dueland brought his brother home to score with an RBI single into left field and made it 2-0. A perfect bunt down the first base line by Ponder allowed Jake to cross the plate and stretch the lead to 3-0 and Ponder later came home to score on an error to make it a 4-0 game going into the fifth.
After a scoreless fifth inning, Brennen Norton added to the lead in the bottom of the sixth with an RBI double in the left-center field gap and the ‘Cats went into the final frame leading 5-0. Heatherly put Decatur away one final time and wrapped a 5-0 area win for Cullman.
Ponder posted two hits and two RBIs in the win. Jake Dueland (one RBI), Max Dueland and Brock each finished with a pair of hits for the Bearcats as well.
The ‘Cats improve to 10-5 on the season with the win and are scheduled to travel to Decatur Thursday to continue the area series.
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