HOOVER, Ala. – This year’s Perfect Game High School Showdown kicked off at the Hoover Metroplex Thursday and the Cullman Bearcats played their first matchup of the tournament against Northside at 3:30 and later faced DeSoto Central at just before 9. Northside jumped out to a 2-0 start but the Bearcats were able to tie the game in the third and pull ahead 3-2 in the fourth. Cullman kept Northside off the board the rest of the way and got the tournament started with a 3-2 win. In Thursday’s nightcap, the ‘Cats took an early 1-0 lead but later went into extra innings tied at 1 with DeSoto Central. It took nine innings to settle things, but in the end the Jaguars were able pick up a 3-1 win over the Bearcats.
Cullman 3 – Northside 2
The ‘Cats fell behind 2-0 in the bottom of the first after a pair of walks, a hit batter and a passed ball got Northside on the board but Austin Hurt took the mound and managed to get Cullman out of the inning with no further damage. Nick Braswell led off the top half of the second with a single and after two quick outs, Cooper Bowen singled to put runners at first and third. An error allowed Max Dueland to cross the plate and trim the lead to 2-1 but the bearcats stranded a pair of runners and went into the bottom of the inning trailing by one.
Northside led off the next inning with a single but a strikeout from Hurt and a 7-3 double play put Cullman back on offense. Ben Hollis drew a two-out walk to give the ‘Cats a base runner in the top of the third and after he stole second, Braswell singled to left to bring him all the way around tie the game at 2.
Hurt quickly worked through the bottom half of the third and Cullman took its first lead in the fourth. Bowen drew a walk to reach first base and Brady Patterson doubled into left field to give the Bearcats runners at second and third. Bowen scored on a wild pitch to take a 3-2 lead and after a pair of runners were stranded, the ‘Cats went into the bottom of the inning with a 1-run lead.
The score stayed locked at 3-2 going into the bottom of the fifth but Northside got runners on the corners to start the inning. J.T. Blackwood relieved Hurt on the mound and shortly after that, a double play got Cullman out of the jam and back in the dugout. Both teams were scoreless over the next inning and the Bearcats went into the final frame leading Northside 3-2. The ‘Cats couldn’t get on the board in the top half of the seventh and they went back out on defense clinging to a 1-run lead. Cullman got two quick outs to start the inning and after three singles loaded the bases for Northside, A.J. Miller caught the final out to secure a 3-2 win for the Bearcats.
Braswell and Patterson each collected a pair of hits, Braswell drove in a run for the ‘Cats and Hurt and Blackwood combined to toss seven scoreless innings in the win.
DeSoto Central 3 – Cullman 1 (nine innings)
The Bearcats took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first after Max Dueland was hit by a pitch and later scored on a fielder’s choice but neither team had much success at the plate for the next few innings. After five scoreless frames, DeSoto Central was finally able to get on the board on an error in the bottom of the sixth but Cullman kept the game knotted at 1 going into the seventh.
Jeb Bartle got the first out of the inning before he was relieved by Brennen Norton who stranded a pair of base runners after an inning-ending double play. The first Cullman batter in the bottom half of the seventh struck out but Hunter Brooks came to the plate as a pinch hitter and singled up the middle to put the winning run on first base. Easton Dean came in to run for Brooks.
Brady Patterson then drew a one-out walk, bringing Austin Hurt to the plate as another pinch hitter. Hurt was retired on an infield fly ball and Norton came to the plate with two outs and a chance to win it for the Bearcats but a ground ball to third ended the inning and sent the game into the extras.
Norton retired the next three Jaguars, thanks in large part to another double play, and Cullman grabbed the bats with another chance to end it in the bottom of the eighth. A one-out single from Nick Braswell put the winning run at first but the next two Bearcats struck out, sending us to the ninth inning.
A walk and an error put two runners on for DeSoto Central with nobody and even though Norton was able to strike out the next two batters, back to back singles to right field gave the Jaguars a 3-1 lead. The ‘Cats managed to get out of the inning without any further damage but needed two runs in the bottom of the ninth to stay alive. Three more strikeouts retired the final thee batters for Cullman and the Jaguars survived to win it 3-1 in nine innings.
Bartle went six innings for the Bearcats and allowed just one run on seven hits and struck out five while Norton tossed three innings, allowing a pair of unearned runs on three hits and striking out three. Braswell posted a pair of hits in the loss for Cullman, and Norton (RBI), Brooks and Ben Hollis each added a hit as well. The ‘Cats struck out 17 times in the loss.
Cullman will play again against Denham Springs Friday night at 6.
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