The Bainbridge Bearcat baseball team fell to Johnson-Central High School out of Paintsville, Kentucky, on Tuesday 3-1. The Bearcats had their chance multiple times during the game, but tiny mistakes kept the Bearcats from getting their footing.

Clark Wiggins started out on the mound for the Bearcats. Wiggins pitched well in the first inning, but a walk and a pair of hits in the first got Johnson-Central on the scoreboard early.

Wiggins’ pitching got the Bearcats out of a jam.

After Central scored one, they had runners in scoring position again with only one out on the board. Wiggins hit a batter with a pitch to load the bases, then struck out the next batter for the second out and got the last batter to ground out to close the inning.

The Bearcats struggled offensively to get going, going three up three down in the bottom of the first with a strike out, ground out, and a pop fly.

The game hit a rut after the first, with both teams going three up, three down in the top and bottom of the second.

Offensive struggles continued for both teams going through the third, except for a single by Central.

The wheels came off for the Bearcats in the top of the fourth.

The trouble started when Wiggins walked the first batter of the winning, but a double play on the next batter put Bainbridge in a good position. The Bearcats had two outs on the board with no runners on base.

Johnson-Central responded with a single, then the next batter up sent one sailing over the right field wall to score two and make the score 3-0.

Bainbridge responded in the bottom of the inning, but the Bearcats needed more offensive firepower to complete the comeback. Will Kelley stepped up to the plate with one out on the board and drilled a double to left field, which scored Noah Bryant.

The Bearcats chipped off one run of the deficit, but their rally stalled out there.

The Bearcats only got on base once after the fourth due to a walk.

The Bearcats were able to keep Central off the board as well though, only allowing one more trip to the bases for the visitors from Kentucky as well, ending the game at 3-1.