CULLMAN, Ala. – After getting rained out earlier in the week, the Bearcats returned home to Bill Shelton Field Thursday night to host a varsity doubleheader against James Clemens and they split their matchups with the Jets. A home run in the sixth inning gave the Jets a late lead and ultimately a 6-5 win in game one but Cullman bounced back to take game two 6-4.
James Clemens 6 – Cullman 5 (Game One)
The Jets got a couple runs on the board in the top of the first, starting with a solo home run to left center that made it 1-0. Later in the inning, an RBI single stretched the lead to 2-0 going into the bottom half of the first. The ‘Cats got one of the runs back in their half of the inning when Hunter Brooks drew a walk to reach first base and Hayden Stancil drove him in to score with an RBI single into right field.
After a scoreless second and third inning, an error allowed James Clemens to extend its lead to 3-1 in the top of the fourth, but Cullman responded in the fifth. Brooks ripped an RBI double to center field to bring Jake Dueland across the plate and make it a 3-2 game. A few pitches later, Stancil brought Zane Watwood into score with a sacrifice fly to tie the game and Kaleb Heatherly followed with a sac fly of his own to score Brooks and put the Bearcats in front 4-3 going into the sixth.
The Jets answered in the top of the sixth, knocking a two-run homer over the left field wall to retake a 6-4 lead. The ‘Cats bounced back in their half of the inning with an RBI single from Watwood to tie cut the lead to one, but they couldn’t get any closer than that and James Clemens held on to take game one 6-5.
Stancil (one hit) posted a pair of RBIs in the loss and Watwood (one RBI), Brooks (one RBI) and Zac Edwards each added a pair of hits. Stancil got the start on the mound, allowing three runs on three hits and striking out five batters in four innings of work. Hunter Howell relieved Stancil in the fifth and finished with a pair of strikeouts after 1.2 innings on the mound. Cody Jones got the final four outs for Cullman, allowing no hits and picking up a strikeout.
Cullman 6 – James Clemens 4 (Game Two)
A 2-run homer put the Jets in front 2-0 in the top of the first, but the Bearcats responded right away in the bottom half of the inning. Watwood and Brooks led things off with a single and a double and Heatherly blasted a double into left field to score both of them and tie things up at 2.
An RBI single from Watwood brought Dueland home to score and put the ‘Cats on top 3-2 in the bottom of the second but an error allowed James Clemens to tie the game at 3 in the top of the third.
A sacrifice fly from Will Bradberry drove in Stancil to make it a 4-3 game in the bottom of the third and Cullman wasn’t done adding runs. Dueland laced an RBI double into left field to score Edwards and Paxton Ponder crossed the plate on a wild pitch to put the Bearcats in front 6-3 going into the fourth.
After a scoreless fourth and fifth inning, the Jets were able to trim the lead to 6-4 in the top of the sixth, but they couldn’t chip away any more than that and the ‘Cats held on to win game two 6-4.
Heatherly (one hit) posted a pair of RBIs in the win and Watwood and Brooks each added a pair of hits as well. Heatherly started on the mound, allowing three runs on three hits and striking out two batters in three innings. Easton Peed tossed the final four innings and allowed just one run on two hits while striking out four.
Cullman will be back home Saturday at 10 a.m. to host a doubleheader against Etowah.
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