Bearcats beat Commodores for 1st win

Less than 24 hours after a frustrating showing at Frazier, the Bearcats responded with a sharp 5-2 win on their home field Tuesday over the Commodores.

Fueled by timely hitting, aggressive baserunning, and six solid innings from junior right-hander Sam Wade, Bentworth flipped the script and handed Frazier its first loss of the season.

“I thought we pitched very well,” Bentworth head coach Billy Matush said. “It really kept us in the game the whole time. We had some trouble (Monday) and didn’t play very well, but the guys did what we asked of them today and bounced back. They were ready to play.”

Wade was in control early, working efficiently through the first few innings before running into some control issues as his pitch count climbed. He gutted his way through six innings, allowing just three hits and two unearned runs while striking out seven and walking four. He kept the Frazier lineup guessing, and more importantly, gave Bentworth a chance to strike first.

“He’s maturing a lot,” Matush said of Wade. “He’s got a lot of energy when he’s out there, but he’s finally starting to settle down. He’s only a junior, so he’s got a lot more pitching to do. We’re just hoping he builds on that and keeps getting better.”

After falling behind 1-0 in the third inning, Bentworth evened things up in the fourth.

Lucas Burt led off with a single and later stole second before Ty Watson smashed a double, scoring Burt. Backto- back hits by Watson and Zeek Malanowsky put more pressure on Frazier, but Bentworth left the bases loaded when Ben Hays flew out to center ending the threat.

However, that missed opportunity didn’t seem to faze them, as the Bearcats broke through an inning later.

Following a pair of quick outs in the fifth, Burt sparked the rally with his second hit of the game. Watson followed with a single, and Malanowsky chopped a slow roller that pitcher Dylan Keilbach couldn’t handle cleanly allowing Burt to score. A savvy delayed steal by Malanowsky on the next pitch disrupted Keilbach’s rhythm, forcing a balk that allowed Watson to trot home to add another run.

On an 0-2 count, Craig McDonald delivered a clutch RBI double into the gap, scoring Malanowsky and giving Bentworth a 4-1 lead late.

While Keilbach battled through 5 2/3 innings and gave up 10 hits, Frazier head coach Rob Dorcon felt his senior didn’t get the support he needed.

“He’s a really hard worker,” Dorcon said. “I have full confidence in him. He doesn’t throw the ball that hard, but he throws a ton of junk and kids have a hard time hitting that. We made some mistakes behind him, and that was the difference in the ball game.”

Keilbach’s line included three strikeouts and two walks, but the unearned runs in the fifth proved costly.

Frazier got one back in the sixth on a ground out by Tyler Monack, but the Bearcats answered in the bottom half.

Hays, who reached base three times in the game, singled and stole second before Wade drove him in with a line shot to left. The insurance run pushed the lead to 5-2 heading into the seventh.

Freshman reliever Clint Havanis came in to close things out, and although Frazier threatened with a single and a walk, Havanis kept his cool and induced a fly ball to left to end the game.

Dorcon didn’t dwell on the missed opportunity to sweep the back-to-back.

“We still had to come out and play our game, and we didn’t do that,” Dorcon said. “Just gotta forget about it. Everything’s in the rear-view mirror. Just got to reload and get ready for Carmichaels Thursday.”

Bentworth racked up 10 hits in the win with Hays, Wade, Watson, and Burt each collecting two. The Bearcats’ energy, according to Matush, is driven by their leaders at the top.

“They lead by example, which is always a good thing,” Matush said of Hayes and Burt. “They show up, they’re here every day, and they do their part. It starts with them.”

With the win, Bentworth not only avoided a sweep but showed it can respond when challenged—something that may matter even more as the season grinds on.