Posted: Feb 17, 2026

Bat Cats Fall in Midweek Slugfest to Oakland City

MCKENZIE, Tenn. - The Bethel Bat Cats dropped a midweek contest Tuesday afternoon, falling 11-7 to Oakland City University at home in McKenzie.

Oakland City (9-2) used timely power hitting and capitalized on Bethel miscues to pull away late, while the Wildcats (1-4) were unable to overcome an early surge from the visitors.

The Mighty Oaks struck first with a run in the opening frame, but Bethel answered quickly. The Wildcats plated two in the bottom of the first and added three more in the second to grab a 5-4 lead. CJ Lattimore highlighted the early offensive push with a two-run double, while Garrett Taylor continued his hot bat, finishing 3-for-4 with three RBIs. Cade Pilkinton also drove in two runs for the Wildcats.

Oakland City responded with a decisive third inning, pushing across three runs behind a two-run homer from Simon Gaines and additional damage from Dicky Gonzalez. The Mighty Oaks totaled three home runs on the day, including long balls from Marcos Arocho and Gonzalez, and racked up 14 hits overall.

Bethel clawed back within 6-5 before tying the game briefly at 7-7, but Oakland City's bullpen shut the door. Juju Thompson was dominant in relief, tossing three hitless innings with six strikeouts to halt the Wildcats' momentum. Manny De Gracia closed out the ninth to secure the win.

The Wildcats collected 12 hits of their own, with Zayden McCaslin scoring twice and swiping a base, and Tyler Webb adding a hit and two stolen bases. However, four defensive errors and eight walks issued by Bethel pitching proved costly, leading to extended innings and four big runs in the ninth.

"We showed flashes offensively and competed early, but we didn't take care of the baseball and that hurt us," said Bethel head coach Rusty Thompson. "Against good clubs, you can't give extra outs or free passes. We've got to clean that up and continue building consistency on the mound."

Bethel will look to bounce back as the Bat Cats continue their early-season slate later this week, as they will host Olivet Nazarene in a three-game series on Friday and Saturday.