The Bainbridge High School baseball team fell to Valdosta High School 7-3 in a pre-season scrimmage Thursday evening. The teams traded runs in the first inning, but the Bearcats’ bats went cold until the seventh inning as Valdosta built a 7-3 lead.

“We did some good things,” Head Coach Brian McCorkle said. “We did some things that are first game jitters, overall a good first performance for our team.”

Will Kelley started the game for the Bearcats and went two innings. He allowed four runs on five hits while striking out three. The Bearcats used five pitchers during the game as they continue to tinker with the pitching staff. McCorkle said after the game that the staff would sit down over the weekend and decide on a plan for the pitchers going forward.

Offensively, the Bearcats were led by Conner Strickland. He went 2-3 in the game, including a triple to right field in the seventh inning. He also drove in a run in the first. The Bearcats were held to five hits in the game, but the bats came alive in the seventh as they scored two runs and loaded the bases with one out thanks to two Valdosta errors. They couldn’t capitalize though as the next two batters struck out and flew out respectively to end the rally.

“We were in good shape strikeout wise,” McCorkle said. “We need to work on making good swings on good pitches.”

McCorkle praised his team’s effort in the field and said that he is happy with where they are at.

“They come to practice, they work hard, they love the game and they like each other,” McCorkle said.

The Bearcats host Pelham Monday at 1 p.m., at home