MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Bethel Wildcats saw their season end with a heartbreaking 3-2 13-inning loss to Loyola Thursday afternoon in the SSAC Baseball Championships in Montgomery, Alabama.
Brady Jones pitched out of a bases load jam in the first. It set the tone for the day in a close low scoring contest. He pitched five solid innings allowing just the two runs.
The Wildcats scored a single run in the second on a sacrifice fly by Lee McBunch driving in Colby Poston but Loyola scored two runs in the bottom of the second to lead 2-1.
The Cats tied the game in the top of the eighth on an RBI single by Kendall Adkisson driving in Colby Carey.
Billy Price was dominating in relief allowing just one hit in three innings. The Pack did loaded the bases in the ninth but Axle Metzger pitched out a bases loaded no out jam in the inning to keep the season alive. Metzger pitched three scoreless innings.
Both teams squandered several chances to win the game but neither could get the big hit until the bottom of the 13th when Loyola's Charlie Seiter had an RBI single to keep the Pack alive at 25-30. Bethel's season ended at 22-24.
Loyola outhit Bethel 12-8 but stranded 14 runners. Bethel left eight men on. Adkisson, Poston and Austin Brenner each had two hits for the Wildcats.
John Michael Spoon suffered the loss while Loyola's Joseph Kuchler was an iron man pitching all 13 innings for the win.
The two teams played four games on the season with all being decided by one run. Bethel had won the three prior games.
