Chase Cameron gritted out a complete game, but Demopolis High School (3-5) fell to Bibb County 4-1 Friday night.

The Tigers and Choctaws were locked in a 1-1 tie in the top of the fifth inning when Cameron did not get the call he wanted on a pitch low and a way on a 3-2 count. With a runner on first the pressure was dialed up when the next batter appeared to have swung at a pitch that struck him. The home plate umpire called a hit batsman, giving the Choctaws runners on first and second.

The Choctaws broke the deadlock when third baseman Wesley Anderson scooped a bunted ball and fired toward first base. The throw sailed just out of the reach of DHS first baseman Payne Hasty, sending two Choctaws runners home and the batter to third base on what proved to be a three-base error.

After the game, Demopolis head coach Ben Ramer defended the play of his corner infielders.

“He came in and did what he had to do on that ball,” Ramer said. “It’s a do or die play and he throws it up the line a little bit.”

Ramer said the result of the play, which gave the Bibb County a 3-1 lead, only exasperated the struggles the Tigers are currently enduring.

“We’re in that mode where we’re searching a little bit right now, especially offensively” Ramer said, pointing to his team’s offensive struggles spilling over into the field. “

Bibb, who defeated Demopolis 14-1 a week earlier, appeared poised to break the game open later in the frame when they loaded the bases with one out.

Cameron dug in and worked his team out of the inning by inducing a pop fly to the shortstop for the second out and forcing a grounder to the second baseman to stop the bleeding.

Demopolis, which stranded two runners in the bottom of the fourth inning, had another opportunity to get its offense started in the home half of the fifth when Ben Pettus singled before Kole Thrasher ripped a ground ball up the middle. The Bibb County shortstop ranged to his right, snagged the ball off the ground, stepped on second base and fired to first for the double play to end the DHS threat.

Demopolis’ final threat came in the sixth inning when Anderson stroked a single to right field that allowed Alex Sturdivant a chance to score from second base. Sturdivant dove around the Bibb County catcher in an effort to reach home plate, missing the base and getting tagged out in the process.

“Our kids’ approach today was exactly what we wanted it to be,” Ramer said. “We can’t fault them at all for their effort and their focus and their approach to the ball game.”

Cameron worked seven innings, scattering seven hits, striking out six, plunking two and walking two.

“Superb,” Ramer said of his senior ace. “We couldn’t ask him to do anything more. They are very good one through nine. A team with that kind of offensive firepower and we hold them to four runs, he did a great job.”

Pettus went 2-for-3 with a run scored. Sturdivant was 1-for-2 with an RBI. Anderson went 2-for-2. Hasty drew a walk in the game.

Demopolis plays again Saturday when it travels to Mobile to challenge UMS-Wright and Prattville.

“We’ve got to turn around and play two big games in Mobile (Saturday),” Ramer said. “We’ve got to have short memories.”