Cambridge Post 84 suffers tough Day 2 in Don Coss tourney
Host Cambridge Post 84 endured a tough day Saturday during action at the 30th annual Don Coss Invitational tournament.
Post 84 suffered a pair of tough losses, dropping an 8-7 decision in eight innings to Meigs County, followed by a 13-11 setback to Findlay Post 3 to slip to 1-3 for the Fourth of July American Legion tournament being held at Don Coss Stadium.
Cambridge will now need to repeat last year's accomplishment of winning three straight games on championship day to defend their title.
"It will be very challenging to try and win three games with a thin pitching staff and 90 degree heat," veteran Cambridge manager Ron Antill explained "But we did it last year and we will give it our best shot."
Antill explained he just had a simple message to his squad heading into championship day action.
"I just told the boys to have fun," Antill said. "As long as we are here we might as well win this damn thing."
Especially disappointing for Post 84 was the loss to Meigs County after holding a 6-1 lead after two innings of play.
Meigs tallied a pair of runs in the third to pull closer at 6-3, but Post 84 tacked on an insurance run in the top of the sixth with Caleb Bond ripping a two-out triple. Hayden Loy then stroked the RBI base hit to bring Bond home for the 7-3 lead.
Meigs County answered in the bottom of the frame with a run to again trim the deficit down to three at 7-4. Then in the bottom of the eighth inning, Meigs County pushed across three runs to collect the 8-7 walk-off victory.
Blake Brumfield took the loss for Cambridge in relief of Loy who drew the starting assignment. Brumfield worked one inning, allowing one run on two hits and walking zero.
Loy surrendered seven runs on 11 hits over six and a third innings, striking out two.
Post 84 racked up 10 hits with Bond leading the way with his triple, two singles and RBI. Loy doubled, singled with an RBI and Bryce 'Big Country' Murdock ripped a two run double. Caleb Campbell collected a pair of base hits, with Jake Valentine and Parker Long each picking up singles.
Cambridge fell behind early in the second game with Findlay, trailing by a 7-2 margin after two innings of play.
Post 84 put up a huge rally with four runs in the bottom of the fourth to pull within 7-6. Cambridge then took the lead at 11-8 with a five run sixth inning.
Findlay then put together a big inning of their own with a five run top of the seventh to retake the lead at 13-11.
In the bottom of the frame, Cambridge could only muster a single from Murdock in a scoreless at-bat to drop to 1-3 in the tournament.
Campbell took the loss for Cambridge Post 84, allowing seven runs on nine hits over four innings, striking out four.
Murdock finished with a 4-for-5 day with four singles with an RBI, while Gates Thompson singled twice with an RBI. Valentine ripped a triple to plate a pair of RBIs, with Brumfield banging out a two-run single. Bond stayed hot with two singles, an RBI with Blade Barclay and Drew Yanico each picking up base hits.
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This article originally appeared on The Daily Jeffersonian: Cambridge Post 84 suffers tough Day 2 in Don Coss tourney
