Cats Fall to Phoenix

MCKENZIE, Tenn. – The Bethel Wildcats played host to the Cumberland Phoenix Friday afternoon and evening at Wildcat Park.

It was Senior Night for the Wildcats. Garrett Taylor, Todd Ethridge, Adreil Vega, Klayton Wright, Zachary Zimmer, Jaxon Hill, Mathew Reynolds, and Matthew Ray were honored in ceremonies following the games.

Fans saw plenty of offense and emotion, but Bethel came up short in both ends of a doubleheader, falling 16-11 and 4-3 to Cumberland Phoenix on Friday afternoon.

In the opener, Bethel's bats came alive with 16 hits, but Cumberland capitalized on 12 walks and three home runs to outslug the Wildcats 16-11.

CJ Lattimore led the charge at the plate, going 3-for-5 with two RBIs, while Evan Cardwell added a big day with three hits and three RBIs. Zayden McCaslin also chipped in three hits and two RBIs as Bethel built early momentum.

The Wildcats plated seven runs in the first three innings to take an early lead, but Cumberland responded with steady pressure, highlighted by a five-RBI performance from Wilser Then, and home runs from Gaines Haussin, Dylan LaRue, and Caleb Royer. A six-run fourth inning flipped the game, and the Phoenix never looked back.

Game two turned into a pitcher's duel, with Bethel narrowly falling 4-3 despite a strong outing on the mound from Zachary Zimmer, who struck out eight over 6.2 innings.

Bethel scattered nine hits in the nightcap, with Galvin Sims collecting two hits and an RBI, while Garrett Taylor reached base four times and scored a run. The Wildcats held a late opportunity but couldn't push across the tying run.

Cumberland used timely hitting, including a two-run home run from Dylan LaRue, to secure the sweep.

Despite the results, the day remained meaningful as Bethel honored its seniors in front of the home crowd.

"We had chances in both games, especially early in the first one, but we didn't execute when it mattered most," said head coach Rusty Thompson. "I'm proud of our seniors and what they've meant to this program. They've stuck with it, competed hard, and represented Bethel the right way. We just didn't finish the day the way we wanted."

The Wildcats are 10-25 overall and 4-10 in the MSC.

Cumberland is 20-24 and 7-7.

The teams play a single game on Sunday beginning at 1 p.m. at Wildcat Park.

Stats:

https://www.bethelathletics.com/sports/bsb/2025-26/boxscores/20260417_pfom.xml

Watch:

https://www.bethelathletics.com/sports/bsb/2025-26/schedule