ATHENS – It took a while, but Bradley Central paid off an error-free defensive effort behind Bryan College signee Joshua Leek's one-hitter and earned a home-and-home sweep of its long-time rival.
After falling behind 1-0 after the first inning, the Bears nudged ahead of McMinn County with three runs through the fifth and sixth innings and held on for a 3-1 win over the Cherokees on Wednesday, at McMinn County High School.
"They scored early on him (Leek), and he settled in," said Bear head coach Travis Adams. "That's a good lineup to keep track of, and we did our job defensively behind him.
"He didn't hurt himself with walking people and hitting people. I was proud of that effort, and to get through we had to get him in the sixth because he had 90-plus pitches.
"That was good, and Brody (Casteel) coming in to close the door again, that was a great job by him. And he trusted his defense too behind him, they played well."
Leek went 5.1 innings in his start, picking up six strikeouts against six walks. And while the Cherokees – who were missing Alabama commits Brooks Berry and Jaser Arms in the lineup due to injuries – knocked numerous hard grounders and fly balls into the outfield, the only hit they got off Leek was an RBI-single from Carson-Newman signee Mason Roderick in the bottom of the first inning.
Bradley (5-6), meanwhile, stranded six runners through the first four innings, including runners at the corners in the top of the first after Lee University signee Alex Brew led off with a double, a runner at third in the second, and two strikeouts against McMinn starter Landon Fugate with bases loaded and one out in the third.
"We left some runs on the table early," Coach Adams said. "Those are things we can get better at when we play a few more. But they're a good team. We're still kind of figuring out what everybody's role is totally. But I'm proud of them."
The Bears finally found an answer offensively in the fifth inning with Brew reaching base on an errant throw after a grounder to the pitcher. Jaxon Humble's sacrifice bunt got Brew to second, where he stole third before Spane Bristol sent a fly ball to left field deep enough for Brew to cross for the tying run.
Fugate's start for the Cherokees (7-6) was done after five full innings, with Bradley striking out five times and scattering four hits and a walk against him.
McMinn brought reliever John Bryson to the mound to start the sixth and Cleveland State signee Hank Adams greeted him with a single, then stole second and advanced to third on a balk before scoring the go-ahead run on Jonathan Alomar's ground ball, that was good for a hit despite being stopped by a diving second baseman.
Tyler Cook paid off his pinch hitting at-bat, his first of the year, with a double to keep it going, and Teigan Cassada blasted a double to the wall that almost looked as if it would clear the fence. Cassada's hit still got one run in, but a relay from left field to shortstop to home plate tagged out a second runner short of the plate.
That still left Bradley ahead 3-1, as the Bears doubled their hit total in that sixth inning and finished the game with eight hits.
McMinn only put one runner on base – Hunter McDonald drawing a one-out walk in the sixth – the final two innings, with Casteel taking the bump for the final 1.2 innings, striking out a pair and not giving up a hit or free pass.
"I think the guys calmed down there," Coach Adams said. "They might have been ahead in the count a little bit and got their hit. And the ball Teigan hit, if the wind wasn't blowing that's probably out of the park. And Tyler Cook comes in and that was his first at-bat of the year, so that was pivotal, too."
The Bears were back in action after presstime Friday at cross-town rival Cleveland. Bradley opens the new District 6-4A three-game series play against Howard — Monday and Thursday at the McKenzie Baseball Complex, plus Tuesday in Chattanooga. The Bears will also entertain county-rival Walker Valley on Friday.
— Banner Sports Editor Joe Cannon contributed to this story.
