CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The Clarksville Academy Cougars hosted the Columbia Academy Bulldogs on Tuesday, May 7, as both teams battled it out for the right to play in the region championship. After four hours and 11 innings played, the Bulldogs scored two runs in the top of the 11th inning to win the game 3-1.
Early on, both starting pitchers looked dominate on the mound. Clarksville Academy’s Evan Leonard was dealing for the first three innings, and then got himself into a bases loaded jam in the fourth and fifth innings. In the end, it didn’t matter because the starting pitcher was able to escape unscathed between both innings, holding the score at 0-0.
Clarksville Academy head coach Dustin Smith says that his pitching and defense has gotten them far this postseason.
“Our pitching and defense have been great for us these past couple of weeks,” Smith told Clarksville Now. “When you get to this point in the season, you have to use everyone, and Evan did a great job.”
Columbia finally put the first run on the board in the top of the seventh inning, and for the Cougars, who only had one hit the whole game, things began to look grim. However, Cougars right fielder Collin Hitch said not so fast: He smoked a double into left center, and the rally was on. While CA scored the tying run on a walk, they were unable to find anymore run support and the game headed into extra innings.
“Offensively, we just have to be better,” Smith said. “We have to score more. We had the right situations, just couldn’t get it done.”
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The game would go on for four more innings, and despite a great outing from Clarksville Academy reliever Garrett Allen, Columbia scored two runs in the top of the 11th to win the game 3-1.
Following their loss, the Cougars will have a chance to respond in the third-place game, the last game before the state tournament.
“The message to them is baseball is a game you play every day,” Smith said. “We just have to turn the page, get after it tomorrow and once you’re in the state tournament, anything can happen.”