Cambridge entered the game Friday night versus Pope HS with a two game lead in region play.  They finished the night with a one game lead after letting a close game get away from them in the late innings in a 13-3 loss.  Cambridge now sits at 6-2 at the halfway point of region play. 

The Bears sent Blake Renner to the mound, coming off of his best outing of the year.  He once again pitched very well against the potent Pope offense.  Pope went quietly in the first, while Cambridge wasted a Ross Friedrick single.  Pope moved ahead 2-0 in the second courtesy of three hits, while Cambridge went in order in the bottom of the inning. 

Pope threatened in the third, but Renner held firm to keep the score at 2-0  Johnny Eneberg and Ryan Todd singled in the bottom of the inning, but the offense could not deliver.  Renner again kept the Pope offense at bay in the fourth, while the Cambridge offense came to life in the bottom of the inning. 

Cody Rech walked to lead off the inning, and Mitch Fleming singled, moving Rech to third.  Fleming was called out on a questionable pickoff at first, which was made more important when Jared Spears then launched an oppo home run to right to tie the score at 2-2 after four. 

Pope added two more in the fourth courtesy of a leadoff single, an error and a pop-up single just past first that landed fair by inches.  A sac fly ended the scoring with a Pope lead of 4-2.  Matt Faby, Eneberg and Todd all walked for Cambridge to begin the bottom of the fifth.  Friedrick drove in a run on a fly ball to right, however it turned into a double play as the Bears runner was called out at third after attempting to tag up. 

With the score standing at 4-3 in favor of the visitors entering the sixth inning, the wheels fell completely off as Pope scored nine runs off of three Cambridge relievers, effectively ending the game.  The Bears offense could generate nothing in the bottom of the sixth and the game ended by run rule. 

Six different Bears batters had a hit, led by the big two-run home run by Spears.  Renner took the tough luck loss, going five innings and allowing two earned runs with eight strikeouts. 

Cambridge steps out of region for a game at Decatur on Tuesday, March 26th.  Game time is 5:55 PM.  The team will play region games on Wednesday at home against Centennial and at Johns Creek on Thursday to complete action prior to spring break. 

Go Bears!