BRADENTON, Fla. – Unable to make plays on defense when needed, the Cullman Bearcats suffered a tough loss in Tuesday's championship bracket of the IMG Baseball Academy Classic.
Cullman committed four errors with the last one on a low throw from short to first that wasn't handled. It allowed Christian Brothers of Tennessee to cross home with the game-winning run in the last of the seventh and a 7-6 triumph.
Four of the seven runs scored by the Purple Wave were due to Cullman throwing errors. The Bearcats had a breakdown from the middle infield to the third base side that prevented them from staying on top after they got early momentum from Owen Lovell.
Lovell blasted a two-run homer in the first, scoring Noah Fonden ahead of him. Then the junior went deep in the third and Cullman was three runs in front of the No. 1 seed entering this format of the tournament.
Lovell started the game on the mound and was effective with a one-hitter and five strikeouts through the first three innings.
But in the Christian Brothers' fourth, the Wave got a runner on with an error, had a double then a run-scoring single and a double play that brought in a run. After four complete innings, Cullman's advantage was down to 3-2.
An error to open the fifth was costly for the Bearcats. That allowed Christian Brothers to punch together a pair of two-run singles and get the lead for the first time in the game at 6-3.
In the Cullman half of the sixth, the 'Cats loaded the bases and were able to reduce the margin to a run when Jacob Heatherly singled in Kolby Robinson and Lowell to make it 6-5.
Unfortunately, Carson Freeman struck out to end the inning as the 'Cats left the bases loaded and were a run behind with one inning to go.
Fondren started the seventh with a single, was sent to second on a sacrifice bunt by Robinson and would score a couple of batters later as a ground ball was not properly played and Fondren dashed in with the tying run.
Carter Bowen relieved Lovell in the sixth. But in the seventh, he gave up a bloop single to right to start the inning for the Wave. That runner would move to third then a thrown ball into the dirt at first with two outs got away and Christian Brothers advanced to the semifinal round.
The loss dropped the Bearcats to 0-2 in the tournament and 20-6 on the season. Cullman lost to Osceola, Florida 2-1 Monday in 17 innings.
Now the Bearcats meet Jesuit from the state of Florida in the consolation bracket at noon Wednesday at the IMG Baseball Academy Stadium.
