First place was on the line in this key region matchup against cross-town rival Alpharetta, and the Bears came away with the series sweep while retaining first place in region with a crucial 1-0 victory Wednesday night, April 10th.  Blake Renner continued his hot pitching streak by extending a stretch of shutout innings to seventeen by the conclusion of this game.

 

Alpharetta countered Renner with their UGA-bound lefty and both pitchers got out of the gate strong.  Each offense went quietly in the first two innings.  An error and a sac bunt in the third by the Raiders pushed the first runner of the game into scoring position, but Renner coaxed a couple of groundouts to end the threat.

 

The Bears offense threatened in the bottom of the third.  Singles by Danny DeSousa and Johnny Eneberg moved a Cambridge runner into scoring position, but the Raiders lefty escaped any further damage and the score remained 0-0 after three.

 

Alpharetta got its only hit of the game leading off the fourth, but the runner was immediately erased on a slick, but unusual 5-6-3 double play, as the shortstop was covering the bag due to the stealing runner.  Cambridge loaded the bases courtesy of two out singles by Jared Spears and Jackson Woods and a walk by DeSousa in the bottom of the inning, but a line shot by Will Paulus was snared by the shortstop to end the threat.

 

Renner tossed another 1-2-3 inning in the fifth, while the Bears offense finally connected in the bottom of the inning.  Eneberg led off and got on by error.  He stole second and then moved to third on a Ross Friedrick single to right.  Cody Rech stepped to the plate and delivered in a big way by lacing a double down the right field line to drive in Eneberg for a 1-0 lead.  The rally ended there, however.

 

Pitching with a one run lead that felt like five, Renner dispatched the Raiders in order in the sixth and seventh innings, and the Bears secured the win to move to 8-3 in region.

 

The Bears had a balanced offensive attack as six different batters had a hit.  Rech's RBI double in the fifth was the biggest and turned out to be the game-winner.  Renner was masterful once again, going seven shutout innings of one-hit ball with six strikeouts and a walk.  The win was his third of the season.

 

Cambridge continues region play with a makeup game at Chattahoochee on Thursday, April 11th.  Game time is 5:55 PM.

 

Go Bears!