The Cambridge varsity baseball squad played a tough, well-played game against the 2017 7A runners-up Woodstock Wolverines Tuesday night, February 20th, losing by a final score of 2-1.

Blake Renner got the start for the visiting Bears and pitched exceptionally well in his second outing of the season.  Renner was at times dominant through the first three innings, striking out one in the first, three in the second and two more in the third.  Meanwhile, the Cambridge offense drew first blood in the third.  Andrew Spears, who had led off the game with a blistering line drive single to center, reached base on an error.  He advanced to second on the error before moving to third on a bunt single by Teddy Egan.  Cody Rech singled down the left field line to drive in Spears, but the rally ended there.

Renner found his first trouble in the fourth.  A walk and a couple of extra base hits led to two runs for Woodstock and a 2-1 lead for the home team.  Cambridge had no luck in the fifth.  Ben LaCombe entered the game in the bottom of the fifth with one out and a runner on and worked out of the jam with no damage.  The Bears pushed a runner into scoring position in the sixth courtesy of a Rech walk and a Ross Friedrick single, but could not push the tying run across.

LaCombe worked another scoreless inning in the bottom of the sixth, setting up one last opportunity for the Cambridge offense to push a run across.  A Danny DeSousa leadoff walk and a Connor Morris sacrifice bunt pushed the tying run into scoring position, but the rally ended there with a 2-1 defeat.

Renner went 4 1/3 innings, allowing two runs with eight strikeouts and a walk to take the tough luck loss.  LaCombe went 1 2/3 scoreless innings with a strikeout.  Spears, Egan, Rech, Friedrick and Chase Durham had hits, while Rech had the lone RBI to lead the offense.

Cambridge plays its next non-region game Thursday, February 22nd at home versus Pinecrest Academy.  Game time is 5:55 PM.

Go Bears!