The ACGC baseball team entered last night’s home contest with the CAM Cougars still searching for their first win this season. They came up short by a score of 7-6, but may have won in the long term with quality pitching and improved batting.

Junior Will Byars got the start on the mound for the first time this season for the Chargers. He pitched arguably the best game of the season, striking out seven and allowing just three earned runs in 4 ⅔ innings. ACGC was down 2-0 in the top of the fourth when Byars got out of a jam by striking out CAM’s best hitter, DeShawn Carr to end the frame.

The score remained 2-0 in the top of the 5th when junior Ben Kingery made his first appearance of the season. Unfortunately, Kingery allowed three runs during the inning, pushing the Cougar lead to five. Kingery got some help in the bottom half of the inning with two runs by ACGC. Bryce Littler’s sacrifice fly brought home Quenton Spack and Byars’ single through the infield ushered in Caden Wardyn to cut the lead to three.

After a scoreless top of the 6th for CAM, the Chargers added four more to take their first lead in a game going into the 7th. Logan Brincks, Mike Ure, Garret Waholvd, and Quenton Spack all scored in the bottom of the 6th, taking a 6-5 lead. However a costly overthrow to first base by Kingery in the 7th allowed the tying run to score and a hit by the next batter gave the Cougars the winning run.

CAM senior Nick Holste proved to be the difference maker, striking out seven and allowing just two runs in five innings. He also scored three runs to help the Cougars improve to 6-1 on the year. The Chargers drop to 0-6 on the season, with Kingery picking up the loss. To hear more reaction on the game and the season, listen to head coach Dana Fink on Monday’s Guthrie County PM Sports Page, starting at 6pm on KKRF.