CULLMAN, Ala. – After a spring break week packed with games, the Cullman Bearcats returned home Tuesday night for an area battle with Muscle Shoals. Runs were tough to come by in this one and it took more than seven innings to settle things but in the bottom of the eighth Kaleb Heatherly drove in the game-winning run with a single to left field and led the ‘Cats to a 2-1 win. Easton Peed got the start on the mound and tossed 5.2 innings in the win, allowing one run (unearned) on six hits and striking out three batters.
Neither team had much success getting the bats going in the first couple innings but a double from Riley Jackson and a single by Zane Watwood put runners on the corners for Cullman in the bottom of the third. An error from the Trojans’ catcher allowed Jackson to score form third and the ‘Cats went into the fourth with a 1-0 lead.
Muscle Shoals was able to load the bases in the top of the fourth but a ground ball to Zac Edwards at second base got Cullman out of the jam. The Bearcats led off the bottom of the fourth and fifth innings with singles but couldn’t push any more runs across the plate. The Trojans loaded up the bases again in the top half of the sixth and an error by the ‘Cats tied the game at 1. A Tucker Apel strikeout got Cullman out of the inning without any further damage.
Neither side could get any runs on the board in the seventh and the game went into extra innings. Muscle Shoals went three-up, three-down in the top of the eighth and the Bearcats led off the bottom half of the inning with a single from Watwood. Hayden Stancil was hit by a pitch to put a pair of runners on base and Tucker Cagle drew a walk to load the bases. That’s when Heatherly ended the game with a walk-off single into left field and secured a 2-1 area win for Cullman.
Heatherly finished the day 3-for-4 at the plate and knocked in the game-winning RBI. Jackson and Watwood each posted a pair of hits in the win as well.
Cullman will travel to finish the area series at Muscle Shoals later this week.
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