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The Bearcats fell 9-7 to the Cairo Syrupmakers in the first game of their three-game region series. The score stayed close throughout; neither team gained a lead larger than two runs out of the bottom an inning. Bearcats’ head coach Donnie Coxwell said the game came down to Cairo capitalizing on more opportunities than they could.

“We just didn’t capitalize when we had runners in scoring positions,” Coxwell said. “I don’t think they’re better than us… We know what we’ve got to do, we just have to go do it.”

The Bearcats connected on eight hits and had three errors on the night. They threw three pitchers — Brooks Hines, Preston Hutto and Parker Landrum. Hines led the Bearcats with five innings pitched, facing 29 batters and throwing 58 strikes on 92 pitches. 

Hutto and Landrum both pitched one inning. Hutto faced six batters and threw 13 strikes on 29 pitches. Landrum faced five batters and threw 10 strikes on 17 pitches. Coxwell said the diversified pitching lineup from the game gives them the advantage on the mound going into a doubleheader in Cairo to finish the series.

“They threw their Ace, we threw our Ace,” Coxwell said. “We threw three guys, and our second and third guys didn’t throw that many, so we should have the advantage, pitching-wise, there.”

1st inning 0-2

Cairo opened the scoring with two runs in the first inning.

2nd inning 1-2

The Bearcats answered with one run in the second inning. Corbyn Thompson scored off a Luke Griffin ground ball.

3rd inning 2-3

The teams scored one run a piece in the third inning. Cairo tacked on their run in the top of the inning, and Bainbridge responded with a Nate Cannon score in the bottom. Cannon found home courtesy of a Graham Beckham ground ball single.

5th inning 5-6

The Bearcats and Syrupmakers matched each other again in the fifth inning; both teams scored three runs. Cairo found home thrice in the top of the inning, and the Bearcats responded in three consecutive at-bats in the bottom of the inning.

Bowen Smith opened the scoring with a run from a bases-loaded walk while Cain Worthington was at the plate. Hines scored next, thanks to a Brennan Enfinger groundout. Daniel Reynolds was next to hit home plate, courtesy of a Luke Griffin sacrifice fly to center field.

6th inning 5-7

Cairo added one run to their lead in the sixth inning.

7th inning 7-9

Cairo scored two runs in the top of the seventh inning, making the score 9-5 as the Bearcats went up to bat. Bainbridge scored both of their seventh-inning runs and endured their final out of the game at the same at-bat in the inning.

Enfinger opened the at-bat scoring with a run off a wild pitch from the Syrupmakers. Drew Clayton then scored on another wild pitch a few throws later. All of this was during a Smith at-bat, who would eventually grounded out to end the game.

The Bearcats get a shot at redemption with a doubleheader against Cario on Friday, April 12. If they win both games, they will be in a three-way tie for first place in Region 1-4A with Cairo and Shaw. The tiebreaker is runs allowed. 

The first game in Cairo starts at 4 p.m., with the second to follow.