HERMANN —The Bearcats ended their six-game losing streak in a big way over the weekend as they earned three straight victories to win the Linn Tournament, defeating South Callaway in the championship game Saturday, April 12, by the final score of 13-7.

“The Linn Tournament was huge for us,” Hermann head coach Wayland McKague said. “We are starting to get some things figured out.”

Their first back-to-back wins of the season put the Bearcats in the championship game where they used a pair of big innings to comeback against South Callaway and extend their win streak to three in the span of two days.

Hermann headed into their first games of the tournament on Friday, April 11, having not recorded a win in over two weeks and seeking to improve upon their 1-8 record for 2025. They wasted no time in their first game against Cuba, jumping the Wildcats for four runs in the first inning and never looking back as they scored in five different innings to take a 10-5 win.

Their second game against Belle got off to a similarly strong start with the Bearcats staking themselves to an early 5-0 lead in the second inning that, despite a push by Belle in the final two innings, propelled Hermann to the eventual 7-5 victory and sent them to the championship game against the South Callaway Bulldogs.

Lane Kohlbusch took the mound for Hermann against the Bulldogs and despite the defense behind him committing six errors on the day, he was able to limit the damage and keep his team close. After four lead changes to begin the game, they trailed South Callaway 3-4 at the end of the third inning.

As the away team on the scoreboard, Hermann opened the fourth by retaking the lead with a four-run top of the inning to put them up 7-4. However, the Bulldogs responded by chipping away at their lead over the next two innings to cut Hermann’s advantage to 7-6 entering the seventh.

Although South Callaway had kept Hermann scoreless while slowly working their way back into the game, the Bearcats’ offense awoke in the top of the seventh to all but put the championship game out of reach for their opponents. They scored six more times to increase their lead to 13-6 which, following a South Callaway run in the bottom of the seventh, proved to be decisive in winning the tournament.

Nolan Ograski got the save after coming on in the sixth for Kohlbusch who got the win. Neither pitcher allowed an earned run in the game and the two combined for nine hits, three walks, and three strikeouts.

Pitching in particular was something coach McKague felt came through for them throughout the tournament, even with limited options available in three games played over two days. He also sees their success at Linn as something that should help for the rest of the season into the playoffs.

“Putting together three solid games with limited pitching was a testament to the work these guys put in and our Senior leadership,” he said. “This will go a long way going forward competing against schools our size.”

Hermann’s offense also played a significant role in their three wins as they averaged 10 runs a game in the tournament. They also recorded 16 hits against Cuba, nine against Belle, and eight against South Callaway.

Notable performances in the tournament include Charlie Tyree going 5-10 with 10 RBIs highlighted by his 3-4 day with three doubles and eight RBIs in the championship game. Kohlbusch also had a good tournament, going 6-11 with two extra base hits, two RBIs, and two walks.

Following their successful weekend, Hermann’s record improved to 4-8 as they reached the midpoint of the 2025 season.