The Cambridge Varsity baseball team entered the week on a two game winning streak, going 2-0 in region play. Mother Nature pushed the Monday game at Chattahoochee to Thursday, condensing the schedule for the week to three games in succession, beginning Wednesday night with a home game versus Alpharetta. Leaky defense led to a 7-5 defeat for the home team and the first loss of region play. Thursday would fare better with a 6-3 victory at Chattahoochee, though the defense continued to struggle.
Cambridge vs. Alpharetta - March 14th
Cambridge starter Blake Renner, who has pitched exceptionally well out of the gate, once again pitched well but could not overcome six errors by the Cambridge defense. The errors started with the first batter of the game. That runner would later score on a sac fly and a second run scored on a throwing error to give the visitors a 2-0 lead after the first half inning.
Down two heading to the bottom of the second, the Cambridge offense came to life courtesy of an Alpharetta error and three walks. Justin Tanguay led off with a single and was followed by walks to Andrew Spears and Jared Spears to load the bases. An Alpharetta error on a ground ball to second drove in Tanguay. Ryan Todd lofted a sacrifice fly to center to tie the game before a Teddy Egan walk pushed another run across. Connor Morris stole home on a double steal to make the score 4-2 after two innings.
The visitors tied the score in the third courtesy of two singles and two more errors. Cody Rech led off the bottom of the inning with a double and later scored on a sac fly by Jared Spears to push Cambridge back on top. Three hits and another Cambridge error in the fourth gave Alpharetta the lead for good. The visitors tacked on another run in the fifth to make the final score 7-5.
Renner was the tough luck loser going 3 2/3 innings and allowing two earned runs with four strikeouts. Mitch Fleming had two of the four Cambridge hits to lead the offense. Rech had the lone extra base hit.
Cambridge @ Chattachoochee - March 15th
Cambridge got solid pitching and a better hitting performance on Thursday, though the defense once again faltered. Casey Young took the mound for the visitors and pitched well in his second start. The Bears offense came out firing from the first hitter. Ryan Todd lined a ball off the pitcher's leg for an infield hit to lead off the game. Teddy Egan singled to right and Cody Rech followed suit with a liner to right to load the bases. A walk by Justin Tanguay and an infield single by Andrew Spears made the score 2-0, but the rally ended there.
Young cruised through the first two innings working around errors in both innings courtesy of a pair of nifty double plays. The Cambridge offense sparked to life again in the third. Tanguay doubled to right and later scored by error. Connor Morris drove in two more with a line drive single to center to push the score to 5-0.
Chattahoochee pushed a run across in the bottom of the third courtesy of a bloop single and three walks. Young averted further damage courtesy of a clutch strikeout and a groundout to keep the score at 5-1.
Chattachoochee loaded the bases again in the fourth courtesy of a walk and two errors, but Young coaxed a groundout to third by the leadoff hitter to end the rally. Cambridge got the run back in the fifth when Chase Durham scored on a passed ball.
The home team scored two in the sixth off of reliever Aiden Schuster courtesy of two errors, a single and a walk. Jared Spears entered the game in the seventh and worked out of a jam to secure the 6-3 region victory.
Young went 4 2/3 innings, allowing a run on one hit with five strikeouts to earn his first career win. Jared Spears pitched a scoreless seventh to earn his first save. Todd led the offense with three hits and a run scored. Durham scored twice and Morris drove in a pair.
Cambridge continues region play with a game Friday night, March 16th at North Atlanta. Game time is 5:55 PM.
Go Bears!