In a showdown of the top two teams in region 7-AAAAAA, Cambridge fought back late to remain on top of the region standings with a 6-1 record by defeating the Dunwoody Wildcats Wednesday evening. Cambridge exited the evening with a two game lead in the loss column as it approaches the half-way mark of region play. Cambridge sent Casey Young to the mound looking for his fourth win of the season.
Young set the Wildcats down in order in the first. Cambridge used three hits in the bottom of the inning to plate the first run of the game. Ryan Todd led off with a single but was promptly eliminated on a 6-4-3 double play by the visitors. Not to be deterred, Cody Rech then doubled down the line in left before coming home on a Mitch Fleming double off the wall in left center. Fleming was left stranded and the inning ended 1-0 in favor of the Bears.
Young worked around a leadoff single in the second to escape any damage there. Dunwoody tied the game in the third courtesy of a leadoff HBP and sac bunt before a run scored on a mis-played ball in the infield, tying the game at 1-1. Young struck out the final batter to end the threat.
Cambridge got leadoff walks from Todd and Ross Friedrick in the bottom of the inning, but could not push anything across. Dunwoody took the lead with the benefit of a single hit in the fourth to go up 2-1. Turner Rosenbaum replaced Young in the fifth and worked out of a bases loaded jam to preserve the one run deficit.
A Todd walk and a Rech RBI single knotted the game at two in the bottom of the fifth. Rosenbaum again worked out of some trouble in the sixth to maintain the tie. Cambridge moved ahead in the bottom of the sixth with a strong two-out rally. Nicholas Armstrong and Matt Faby coaxed walks from the tiring Wildcats starter, moving the go ahead run into scoring position. Johnny Eneberg then stepped to the plate and laced a single to right center, driving in Armstrong. A wild pitch and an error pushed two more across for a 5-2 Cambridge lead after six.
Dunwoody quickly loaded the bases off of Cambridge reliever Grayson Dato in the seventh. Michael Polk entered the game with no outs and the bases full and retired the side on three pitches, including a game-ending 4-6-3 double play to close out the win.
Rech led the offense with a single, double, an RBI and a run scored. Todd, Fleming and Eneberg had the other three hits, Fleming's being a double. Young took a no decision, allowing two runs on two hits in four innings of work. Rosenbaum got the win in relief, tossing two shutout innings of two-hit ball. Polk got the three pitch save, his second of the season.
Cambridge concludes the first half of region play with a game at home against two-time defending state champion Pope HS. The game is Friday, March 22nd at 5:55 PM.
Go Bears!