Hanging on by a thread sometimes is all you need.
Despite being outhit 12-4 and committing three errors in the top of the seventh inning Friday, Bradley Central shielded off Ooltewah's feisty Owls as the Bears began their hunt to repeat as District 5-AAA baseball tournament champions.
The top-seeded Bears won 7-6 when sidewinder Jake Prock induced a game-ending groundout to shortstop Ashton Simmons to start a best-of-three series.
"We had been in a little bit of a rut coming into today," Bradley coach Travis Adams said. "For us to come through and win this game without handing it back to somebody is a good way to start it. This is the time of the year you have to play and act like you've been here."
In the district semifinals nightcap, Jacob Jennings broke a 4-4 tie with an RBI double in the sixth before No. 3 seed Soddy-Daisy broke loose for a 9-4 victory over No. 2 East Hamilton. Trojans sophomore Landon Maynor picked up the win on the mound and was backed by 10 hits.
After scoring just three runs in a pair of losses to Cleveland and one to McCallie to close the regular season, the Bears renewed some confidence early against Ooltewah as Freddy Johnson lined a two-run opposite-field single to right in the bottom of the second inning.
Bradley Central (18-11) led 7-0 at the end of the fourth as RBI hits by district co-MVPs Dylan Standifer and Riley Black highlighted a four-run third and Ryan Giovengo added a sacrifice fly in the fourth.
"For Freddy to get our offense going tonight was huge," said winning pitcher Black, who gave up three earned runs in 6 1/3 innings. "He came up clutch. I didn't have my best stuff tonight, but our offense came through in the situations provided and we battled."
After being shut out and held to one hit by Black in their previous encounter, Ooltewah (14-17) made noise at the plate.
After pulling out one-run wins the previous two days to end seasons for Walker Valley and McMinn County, the Owls continued to scrap.
Tyler Phillips and Jacob Robinson each reached base in all four plate appearances, while Phillips went 4-for-4 and doubled along with Eli Wells.
Down 7-1, Robinson's two-run single began a seventh-inning rally that fell just short.
"When you triple the other team in hits you should win, but baseball is a crazy game," Ooltewah coach Brian Hitchcox said. "We dug ourselves too big of a hole early. Hopefully we can take some momentum into tomorrow and continue to have good at-bats. If we throw strikes and make plays, we have a good shot."
Standifer, a Lee University signee, led the Bears at the plate with two hits.
Bradley made a pair of defensive gems in the second inning, as Caden Sherlin made a diving catch in center and Black snagged a sharp line drive to turn two.
"There is no time clock in baseball and you have to get the outs," Adams said. "We have to be in the moment and calm down a little. You have to be tough."
Contact Patrick MacCoon at pmaccoon@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @PMacCoon.