CLEVELAND, Tenn. — It took a walk-off double by senior Josh Leek to prevent District 6-4A champ Bradley Central from having its almost month-long winning streak snapped Thursday, at the McKenzie Baseball Complex.
The 3-2 come-from behind victory to sweep East Hamilton, gave veteran Coach Travis Adams' Bears a perfect 9-0 district mark in the regular season, plus notched their 14th straight win.
Weather permitting, Bradley (16-6) is scheduled to co-host the annual Trojan Classic this weekend.
The Bears are supposed to face sixth-ranked (DII-A) Silverdale (13-5) at 4 Friday, before tangling with No.
20 (4A) Wilson Central (16-3) at 7 p.m.
Bradley is slated to face Shelbyville in a rematch of last year's Region 3 semifinal at 3:30 Saturday afternoon.
East Hamilton (11-14, 3-5 District 6-4A) is hoping to travel to Knoxville to compete in the Scott Dean Memorial — playing Heritage Friday at 6 p.m., plus CAK and Knox West in a Saturday twinbill, starting at 11 a.m.
After Bradley claimed a tight 2-0 victory over the Hurricanes in Monday's series opener, the Bears made quick work in Collegedale Tuesday with a 12-2 "run-rule" blowout.
However East Ham took control early Thursday evening, putting up the game's first two scores,
Hurricane Trey Crawford led off the second frame by beating out an infield single and two batters later completed the circuit on a Griffin Phillips hit.
In the third, a Maddox Bohannon one-out hit put up another score when 'Cane starting pitcher Carter Bohlken helped his own cause with a two-out single.
After a half dozen straight outs to open the contest, the hosts finally got the goose egg off the bottom of the scoreboard in the third when Northwestern football signee Tito Williams laced a double just inside the third base bag and came home a moment later on a East Ham error.
Bradley didn't tie the score until Lee University signee Alex Brew opened the bottom of the sixth with an infield hit, was bunted to second by sophomore Tyler Cook and moved to third on a passed ball while classmate Luke Keith was working a walk.
Junior Jaxon Humble brought the tying home home with a fielder's choice ground out.
After four Bear hurlers completed a combined five-hitter in the top of the seventh, the game-winning rally began with Cleveland State signee Hank Adams "walking the line," before stealing second.
Leek, a Bryan College signee, stepped into the box with one out and drilled a shot that "pinged" the left field wall for the walk-off double, setting off the home crowd celebration.
Senior Ethan Wilds started on the bump for the Bears, giving up five hits, while striking out three and walking one in three innings of work.
Junior Jonathan Alomar came on to set the 'Canes down in order in the fourth and fifth frames, before Cook moved from behind the plate to the hill for a 1,2,3 sixth, striking out the first two batters on seven pitches and getting the third to fly out.
Cleveland State signee Brody Casteel, the team's closer, came on for the seventh and the "Blue Flame" immediately K'd the opening two hitters and after an error allowed East Ham a glimmer of hope, he needed just two pitches to snuff it out by inducing a ground out to pick up the win.
Game Summary
District 6-4A
Thursday, April 18
at McKenzie Baseball Complex
East Hamilton 011 000 0 — 2 5 1
Bradley Central 001 001 1 — 3 4 2
Bohlken, Hunter (7) and Maddox; Wilds, Alomar (4), Cook (6), Casteel (7) and Cook, Stott (6).
WP: Brody Casteel. LP: Peyton Hunter.
Records: East Hamilton 11-14, 3-5 District 6-4A; Bradley Central 16-6, 9-0 District 6-4A.