McKENZIE, Tenn.—The Christian Brothers University Bucs rallied from a 9-2 deficit to pull within a run Wednesday afternoon at Bethel, but they were unable to get the tying run home as they dropped a 9-8 decision.

Early on, the Wildcats (21-16-2) appeared on the verge of blowing the game wide open.  They scored four runs in the bottom of the first inning on three hits, a walk, a hit batter, and an error.  They extended the lead to 5-0 an inning later with two singles and a sacrifice fly.

The Bucs (14-19-1) began to make a game of it in the fourth, when they cashed in two walks, two singles, and a hit batter for four runs, but the Wildcats appeared to pull away for good in the bottom of the fifth, scoring four more on three singles, two walks, an error, and a homer.

The comeback started in the top of the sixth for the Bucs when Tyler Dunn (Bartlett, Tenn./Tipton-Rosemark Academy) and Charles Armour (Brighton, Tenn./Brighton HS) hit back-to-back doubles to right.  Consecutive singles from Will Wilson (Cordova, Tenn./First Assembly Christian School), Jimmy Franklin (Knoxville, Tenn./Powell HS), and Ryan Knott (Cordova, Tenn./St. Benedict HS) preceded a Rob Maxwell (Jackson, Tenn./North Side HS) sacrifice fly that cut the lead to 9-6.

Dunn scored on a wild pitch in the seventh to trim the lead to two runs, and Maxwell reached on an error and scored on an error in the eighth to bring the Bucs within a lone run, but none of the Bucs' three runners after Maxwell were able to get past second base.

Armour shined in his college debut, going 3-for-5.  Dunn also went 3-for-5 with three runs, while Franklin and Knott were each 2-for-4.  Aaron Smith (Lewisburg, Miss./Lewisburg HS) turned in a strong appearance out of the bullpen, throwing two and two-third scoreless innings, only allowing a hit batter as he struck out two.

The Bucs make their final GSC West trip of the season this weekend as they travel to Arkansas-Monticello.  Saturday's doubleheader starts at noon, with a single game at 1 p.m. Sunday.