The Lourdes baseball team battled, but came up just short as it suffered a 14-12 setback against Bethesda on the final day of its spring break trip in Tucson, Arizona on Saturday.
 
The Gray Wolves jumped out to an early lead as the three leadoff batters loaded the bases, setting Cameron Gallo (Mason, Ohio/Bishop Fenwick) up for clean-up duties. Gallo would hit a sacrifice fly to center field to plate Jay Denman (Toledo, Ohio/Saint Francis de Sales) and give Lourdes a 1-0 lead.
 
On the ensuing at bat, Braden Halford (Port Hope, Ont./Saint Mary's) drilled a double to left center field, clearing the remaining base runners and pushing the lead to 3-0 after the top half of the first inning.
 
Lourdes continued to score in the top of the second after back-to-back-to-back singles from George Pastor (Walled Lake, Mich./Central), Gallo and Halford pushed the lead to 6-0.
 
Bethesda (10-11 overall) was able to get back into the contest in the bottom of the second inning, scoring six runs to knot the game at 6-all. The Flames added one more run in the ensuing inning to take a 7-6 lead through three innings.
 
Denman would make sure the Flames didn't hold the advantage long as he hit a home run over the left field fence as the leadoff bat in the top of the fourth inning.
 
Bethesda was able to regain control of the contest in the bottom of the fifth, plating three runs to take a 10-7 lead.
 
The Gray Wolves began to fight back in the top of the sixth inning as Gallo hit a single to right field with runners on the corners to get Lourdes within 10-8. On the next at bat, Halford cut the gap even more, singling to center field to plate Pastor and get Lourdes within 10-9.
 
During the Gray Wolves next offensive appearance, Kevin Suttles (Monroe, Mich./Monroe) launched a 2-RBI home run to the center field fence to give Lourdes an 11-10 advantage.
 
After a leadoff triple to right field put Gallo in scoring position, Colin Gottschalk (Walled Lake, Mich./Central) sent a double to deep left field to plate the run and push the lead to 12-10.
 
Bethesda made one last run, scoring four runs in the bottom of the eighth inning and the Gray Wolves couldn't get any closer as the Flames sealed the 14-12 victory.
 
Denman, Pastor, Gallo and Halford led the way for Lourdes offensively, recording three hits each. Halford and Gallo added four and three RBI, respectively while Pastor and Michael Davis (Whittier, Cal./California) each scored three runs.
 
The Gray Wolves (6-7 overall) will return home for a pair of twinbills against Cornerstone and Lawrence Tech on Mar. 23 and 24 at Mercy Field.