Cambridge entered the final game of the season up a game on Pope in the region 7-AAAAAA standings with a 12-3 record.  Due to tie-breaker rules, the winner of the game would be crowned region champs, so it all came down to this one game.  And while things looked good early for the Bears, Pope responded quickly and ended up winning the game and the region title by a score of 7-2.

 

The Cambridge bats came out strong to begin the first.  Ryan Todd led off and scorched a single off the leg of the Pope starter for an infield hit.  Catcher Ross Friedrick then launched an opposite field rocket off the wall in left to put two in scoring position.  Second baseman Cody Rech pushed the first run of the game across with a sac fly to left and Cambridge led 1-0 after three batters.  Unfortunately, as it turned out, the Bears bats would mostly go quiet from that point forward.

 

Pope responded quickly in the bottom of the first down a run.  The Pope leadoff hitter was struck out by Cambridge starter Evan Pollifrone, but got on by error, advancing to second.  He was then moved to third via a sac bunt and scored on a double to tie the game.  Two more singles and a sac fly pushed the Pope lead to 4-1 after one.

 

Cambridge went quietly in the second, while Pope pushed another across in the bottom of the inning.  Senior Michael Polk replaced Pollifrone and got out of the inning without further damage.  Both teams went scoreless in innings three and four, while Pope added two insurance runs in the fifth to take a 7-1 lead.

 

The only remaining excitement for the Bears happened with two outs in the seventh when Nicholas Armstrong launched a no-doubt home run into the trees in left to cap the scoring in the 7-2 Cambridge defeat.

 

Todd, Friedrick, Armstrong, Danny DeSousa and Johnny Eneberg had hits for the Bears.  Friedrick had a double and Armstrong the home run to lead the offense.  Pollifrone took the loss.

 

The Cambridge regular season is now concluded.  The Bears await their first round opponent in what will be the program's first home playoff series.  Games one and two are tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, April 24th.  Game times are yet to be announced.

 

Go Bears!