MCKENZIE, Tenn. – After losing 6-5 and 10-4 in the first two games of their weekend series the Bethel Wildcats found themselves down 5-0 in the bottom of the first in the first game of their doubleheader against Columbia College Saturday at Wildcat Park. In what proved to be the biggest hit of the early season Lucas Riddick hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the inning to the Cats the lift they needed to get back into the game. They would score four more times in route to a 7-6 victory. The Wildcats followed with a convincing 11-1 five inning victory in game two to gain a split in the series with the visitors from Missouri.
After Riddick's homer Kendall Adkisson drove in a run with a double in the second inning. Colby Poston scored on a Columbia throwing error in the third. It was one of five errors committed by the Cougars in the game. Clayton Parker and Brady Gill had RBI's singles in the fifth for the Wildcats.
Bethel's Steve White picked up the win in relief while Hunter Trowbridge suffered the loss for the Cougars. Riddick had three hits in the game for the Wildcats.
Game two was all Bethel. After trailing 1-0 in the fourth the Wildcats scored six runs in the bottom of the inning. They added five more runs in the fifth. The game was called after five due to darkness.
The big hit in the fourth was a three run homer off the bat of Adkisson. Colin Roberts had a RBI double while Gabriel Matias and Zach Crocker had RBI singles.
The Wildcats were not finished as they pushed across five runs in the fifth. Riddick, Zach Crocker and Jack Surber had RBI'S in the inning. Surber, the freshman from McKenzie had two hits in the inning.
Arlington, Tennessee freshman Hayden Edwards picked up his first win as a Wildcat. Jeremy Rettig was charged with the loss.
The Wildcats return to action Tuesday hosting long-time foe Cumberland University at 1 p.m. Catch live video of the game on Wildcat Vision.
