MOULTRIE – A baseball game devoid of strikeouts means batters are getting on the ball and putting it in play. A baseball game with that going on and also devoid of errors means there’s a pretty good grasp of the sport’s fundamentals.

But it does come down to scoring runs, and advantage on that to the Bainbridge High Bearcats Tuesday against the Colquitt County High Packers on Ike Aultman Field at Jerry Croft Stadium. Bearcat pitcher Jackson McCullough, with six strong innings on the mound, sent the Packers of first-year head coach Matt Crews to their third loss in four games so far winning 4-1.

In those six innings, McCullough did not allow a run despite walking four batters. He fanned just one Packer and surrendered just one hit, that to sophomore shortstop Cannon Whatley.

If one of baseball’s probability rules is that leadoff walks come around to score a high percentage of the time, then Colquitt County found itself on the low end of that scale Tuesday. McCullough issued two free passes to start the bottom of the second inning. Hayden Moore entered the game as a pinch-hitter for starting outfielder Callon Kubiak and bunted those baserunners into scoring position. McCullough then issued two fly-ball outs, but the first one was in foul territory and caught by the visiting dugout.

It was the first of two times the Packers left multiple runners in scoring position without anyone touching home.

But Colquitt junior pitcher Tucker Pitts, making his first career start at home on varsity, was also good at keeping Bearcat runners on base for his first two innings. He did issue a walk and a two-out single to Nolan Barr in the top of the first, but also retired three batters. Two were on assists by senior third baseman J.T. Whatley.

In the top of the second, McCullough doubled on a play where Kubiak bumped with centerfielder Pershaun Fann (Both finished out the inning, but Kubiak was eventually lifted for Moore). Jahiem Jenkins also reached on an infield single with two outs, but Bainbridge again failed to score with Pitts swaping hits for outs.

The Bearcats, however, got on the board first in the third inning using just one hit and a successful sacrifice bunt. It was with two outs that a wild pitch and close play at home plate involving catcher Henry Underwood made it a 1-0 game.

Pitts recorded his only strikeout in the top of the fourth, but the inning featured a long battle with Will Beckham and a double to left. Jenkins, on a full count, blooped a single over the infielders driving home Bainbridge’s second run. Pitts gave way to Jeb Johnson and received several warm gestures of congratulations for his efforts. Johnson got out of the inning with his first whiff and picking off Jenkins at second base.

McCullough retired five in a row – all on grounders – and got a questionable double play to keep his lead 2-0 through five complete. Garry Hill Jr. came in for Colquitt and worked a scoreless sixth. J.T. Whatley began a double play of his own to end that turn.

It was Fann’s long at-bat that opened a promising home sixth with a walk. J.T. Whatley also walked, and the two pulled off a double steal after a time-out discussion with Crews. There were two outs, though, and McCullough preserved the shutout stranding the two in scoring position.

Bainbridge loaded the bases in the seventh without the baseballs leaving the infield. Jenkins and Mike Conder beat out base hits as part of the rally, and with one out the Bearcats scored a second time on a wild pitch and got Barr’s sacrifice fly for 4-0.

Barr pitched the bottom of the seventh giving up the only Colquitt run and second hit. He also fanned two.

The Packers, with senior Henry Daniels now in the lineup, face a stiff weekend in the Atlanta area with two games Friday against Hillgrove and Harrison in Kennesaw followed by Saturday’s contest at Grayson High.