After wrapping up District 6-4A play with a third-straight shutout of Howard Thursday, the ball did not bounce in Bradley Central's favor against much tougher competition in a trio of Trojan Classic games Friday and Saturday, snapping a seven-game winning streak.
The Bears (15-12-1, 8-1 District 6-4A) completed the district sweep of the Hustlin' Tigers by a 16-0 margin, to go with back-to-back 18-0 thrashings earlier in the week, before getting stunned by a nine-run rally in the top of the seventh in an 11-10 loss to Wilson Central Saturday, on the heels of getting nipped by a final at bat score in a 4-3 loss to Rhea County and shutout 5-0 by Soddy Daisy in Friday's twinbill.
Bradley will host Walker Valley, which comes in having dropped three straight themselves, in a makeup game Mond at 6 p.m., on Joe Adams Field.
The Bears will hold Senior Night Thursday in the first of a home-and-home series with Coffee County, before wrapping up the regular season with a trip to Soddy Daisy on Monday, April 28.
WILDCATS 11, BEARS 10: After Wilson Central (12-8) put up a pair of unearned runs for the only scores in the game's first seven at bats, Bradley roared to a two-out 6-spot in the bottom of the fourth.
After an opening strikeout, Carson Stott laced a single, Spane Bristol got on with one of the Wildcats five errors in the contest, and Bronson Stone was "plunked" to load the bases.
Although the Wilson hurler struck out the next batter, another 'Cat miscue on a ball hit by Jonathan Alomar allowed two runs to score to knot the game at 2-all.
Cleveland State signee Jaxon Humble "took one for the team" before Jaden Griffey's hot shot to short couldn't be handled, giving the home team the lead.
Tyler Cox then stepped into the batter's box and delivered a three-run double to left field for a 6-2 edge.
The Bears added to their lead with a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth when Stott stroked a run-scoring single to plate Cook, who also had a one-base knock, and Nathan Thompson, who also had a hit, came in a few minutes later on a wild pitch.
Down a half dozen, the Wildcats came out fighting in their last chance, circling the bases nine times on eight singles, a double and a pair of Bradley miscues.
Stunned but not done Bradley fought back from the three-run deficit with Stone and Alomar sandwiched doubles around a strikeout to close the gap.
After Humble was hit by a pitch for the second time, Griffey hit another shot that was mishandled to bring home Alomar to pull within a run with two men on base. The boys from Lebanon were able to stymie the comeback with a game-ending double play to escape with the victory.
Bradley had just seven hits in the contest, plus drew eight free passes, with Stott going 2-for-3, plus drawing a walk, knocking a double, driving in a score and touching him himself.
Cook helped out with a pair of hits, including his three-run double, and he compelted the circuit.
Stone ripped a double, was "plunked" twice and scored a run, while Nathan Thompson had a one-base knock and walked the line before scoring a run. Alomar had a run-scoring hit and scored once.
Drake Allen started on the mound for the Bears, tossing five innings, striking out five, walking four and scattering five hits, but no earned runs.
EAGLES 4, BEARS 3: Bradley opened the scoring in the bottom of the second when a two-out walk to Stott and a double by Stone got the goose egg off the board.
Rhea County (6-17) circled the bases twice in top of the third when free passes to Jim Pendergrass, Halston Shaver and Casen Kinney jammed the sacks before Jax Schmitt singled in a run and Corydon Butler lifted a sacrifice fly to give the visitors the lead.
The Bears bounced back with two runs of their own in the bottom of the frame with a one-out double by Humble and a two-out single by Cook set the stage. Bristol and Thompson did the honors with back-to-back one-base knocks to put the host back on top.
The boys from Evensville knotted the score with run in the fifth as a leadoff walk to Dakota Kilby and a sac bunt by Shaver opened the door for Kinney to drive in the run for a 3-all tie.
The Eagles came up with the game-winner when Shaver doubled and Kinney singled to open the top of the seventh, with Butler doing the honors with a sac fly.
Bradley got a pair of runners on in the bottom of the seventh, but couldn't push one around, leaving seven "ducks on the pond" in the contest.
Jim Cunningham earned the victory, tossing the first half dozen innings, before Kilby earned the save with a scoreless seventh.
Rhea had just four hits in the contest with Kinney coming through with a pair, plus he drew a walk, while Shaver stroked a double and Shaver a one-base knock.
Bristol was the lone Bear with two hits, while Bryson Kent opened on the hill, going 5.2 innings, with five Ks, five free passes, two hits and three earned runs allowed.
TROJANS 5, BEARS 0: Stephen Vickers gave up a half dozen hits and only one walk in firing the complete-game shutout for Soddy Daisy (15-10-1).
After four scoreless innings, the Trojans broke the tie with a four-run fifth, thanks in part to a pair of Bradley errors.
Braden Shell opened the at bat with a single and after Noah Berry reached on a miscue, A Pinson loaded the bases with a one-base knock. After a pop out, another Bear error allowed the first two runs to come home before Logan Williams brought in another with a sac fly and Brayden Maynor delivered a two-out RBI-single.
Soddy Daisy tacked on a solo score when Williams and Maynor drew back-to-back walks to open the top of the seventh and Bradley's fourth error moved them up a base before Cooper Poe brought in Williams with a ground out.
Maynor and Shell both had a pair of hits for the victors, while Thompson went 2-for-2 and drew a free pass to lead the Bears.
GAME SUMMARIES
Trojan Classic
Saturday, April 19
Wilson Central 020 000 9 — 11 15 5
Bradley Central 000 602 2 — 10 7 3
WP: Colton Vivrette 1 IP, 1 K, 0 BB, 2 hits, 1 ER. LP: Jonathan Alomar 2 IP, 1 K, 0 BB, 10 hits, 0 ER. 2B: Reid Spencer, Luke Shaughnessy (WC); Bronson Stone, Jonathon Alomar, Tyler Cook (BC). RBI: Spencer 2, Konnor Adelsberger 2, Shaughnessy, Caiden Webber, Brayden Camperlino, Vivrette, Nicholas Ferrara (WC); Cook 3, Carson Stott, Alomar (BC). BEAR HIGHLIGHTS: Stott 2-3, 2B, BB, RBI, RS; Cook 2-5, 2B, 3 RBI, RS; Bronson Stone 1-2, 2B, 2 HBP, RS; Alomar 1-3, RBI, RS; Nathan Thompson 1-3, BB, RS; Drake Allen 5 IP, 5 Ks, 4 BB, 5 hits, 0 ER. RECORDS: Wilson Central 12-8; Bradley Central 15-13-1.
Friday, April 18
at Joe Adams Field
Rhea County 002 010 1 — 4 4 0
Bradley Central 012 000 0 — 3 8 1
WP: Jim Cunningham 6 IP, 1 K, 1 BB, 8 hits, 3 ER. LP: Jonathan Alomar 1.1 IP, 0 K, 1 BB, 2 hits, 1 ER. Save: Dakota Kilby 1 IP, 1 K, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 0 hits, 0 ER. 2B: Halston Shaver (RC); Jaxon Humble, Bronson Stone (BC). RBI: Corydon Butler 2, Casen Kinney, Jax Schmitt (RC); Spane Bristol, Nathan Thompson, Stone (BC). BEAR HIGHLIGHTS: Bristol 2-4, RBI; Thompson 1-2, RBI; Stone 1-3, RBI; Humble 1-3, 2B, RBI; Tyler Cook 1-4, RS; Carson Stott 1-2, BB, RS; Alomar 1-2; Bryson Kent 5.2 IP, 5 Ks, 3 BB, 2 HBP, 2 hits, 3 ER. RECORDS: Rhea County 6-17; Bradley Central 15-11-1.
Soddy Daisy 000 401 1 — 5 7 1
Bradley Central 000 000 0 — 0 6 4
WP: Stephen Vickers 7 IP, 11 Ks, 1 BB, 6 hits, 0 ER. LP: Bronson Stone 6 IP, 1 K, 2 BB, 7 hits, 0 ER. 2B: Braden Shell (S). RBI: Gabriel Ferguson 2, Cooper Poe, Logan Williams, Brayden Maynor (SD). BEAR HIGHLIGHTS: Nathan Thompson 2-2, BB; Chris Gordon 1-1; Tyler Cook 1-2; Jonathan Alomar 1-2, Colby Stott 1-3. RECORDS: Soddy Daisy 15-10-1; Bradley Central 15-12-1.