Frank(ly) Speaking: Flawless McMinn Captures Region Crown
Grimmett Hit Backs Frank Pitching In 2-0 Win Over Bears Wednesday, May 19, 2021 - by James Beach
CLEVELAND, Tenn. – The outcome, or at least the path to said outcome, was as much a tribute to the test the Bradley Bears have provided this season as to the perfection needed to pass it. And make no mistake, McMinn County was perfect Wednesday night in every phase of a 2-0 Region 3AAA championship crowning against the testy Bears.
The Bears, as has come to be expected, protected all but one piece of grass between the foul lines with a defense that seemingly gets better and better as the season drags forward.
“Extra”ordinary Effort: Bradley Claims 5AAA Title In 11
Vasquez delivers Walk Off To Back Burnette, Flowers Pitching Monday, May 10, 2021 - by James Beach
Everyone knew what McMinn County had coming into Monday night’s District 5AAA title bout against Bradley. The Cherokees were armed and dangerous with head coach David Ray having his choice among the four horsemen who had carried the pitching load to choose.
With all four of his DI pitchers ready and available thanks to Ray’s strategic handling of the staff, the Bears were guaranteed to see quality, and Cherokee starter Ollie Akens and staff ace Andrew Ronne delivered as advertised.
Bears, Cherokees Roll Into 5AAA Finals
Season Comes To A Close For Hurricanes, Blue Raiders Saturday, May 8, 2021 - by James Beach
The McMinn County Cherokees incorporated a little bit of the Bradley Bears playbook and now the Bears will need to utilize a part of the Cherokee scheme as both teams took care of business on Saturday to close out best-of-3 5AAA semifinals season extenders.
Third-seeded McMinn dropped second-seeded Cleveland, 11-3, and top seed Bradley was 5-1 better than seventh-seed East Hamilton as both winners advanced into Monday night’s 7 p.m. championship tilt. The win also qualified each for a region berth with home and away sites the remaining debate. And a District championship trophy, of course.
Bear Bashing: Bradley Rips Ooltewah, 12-1
Clutch Hits Carry Bears As Owls Fall Flat In Clutch Monday, April 19, 2021 - by James Beach
The scoreboard at AC Bud Ball Field on the Ooltewah campus indicated it was 11 runs which separated the host Owls from the Bradley Bears at the end of Monday night, but the truth of the matter is it was so much more.
Bradley feasted on clutch situations, loading the bases in three separate innings to produce crooked numbers in the run column each occasion, while Ooltewah walked away empty-handed twice with the bases juiced in what turned out to be a 12-1 run-ruled victory for the Bears.
Bradley Beats Hixson In New Balance Classic
Bears Win Three Straight, Including 7-2 Over Wildcats In Final Saturday Game Saturday, April 17, 2021 - by John Hunt
Bradley s Taylor Duggan (16) is safe at second as the ball gets past Hixson shortstop Manny Velazquez (1). The Bears defeated the Wildcats, 7-2. - photo by Dennis Norwood
The Hixson Wildcats played on pretty-much even terms with the Bradley Bears for most of their game at Hixson’s John Plumlee Stadium, but that was before the Bears batted around in the seventh inning to score four insurance runs in a 7-2 victory.
It was a good weekend for the Bears as they competed with a number of teams in the New Balance Chattanooga Classic hosted by East Hamilton.