Brookhaven Academy exploded for five runs in the first inning and held on for a 6-5 victory after Cathedral’s Robert Hargrave was thrown out at third base in the final inning.

With the Green Wave trailing 6-4 and two outs in the seventh, Cougars pitcher Jaden Clark’s pitch sailed to the backstop, allowing Ben White to score from third. Hargrave, who started at first on the play, rounded second and headed for third but was ruled out at third on a close play.

“It was a close play, it was a bang-bang play,” CHS coach Craig Beesley said. “I was hoping he could get in there and give us that tying run on third. It was one of those plays that could have gone either way. We just didn’t catch the breaks tonight.”

Conner Branton tossed 5.2 for Cathedral, allowing six runs, four earned, and striking out six batters. Brookhaven scored all six of its runs through the first two frames, but the lanky right-hander kept them off the scoreboard over the next three-plus innings. White recorded the final four outs for Cathedral.

“I thought our pitchers did well, we just didn’t make some plays early in the game, and we gave them that big inning,” Beesley said. “I thought we hung in there with them. That’s two good outings in a row for (Branton). He got us into the sixth and gave us a chance, and that’s all you can ask for.”

The Green Wave (9-9, 1-3) tallied just five hits in the game, with two coming in the first inning. Cathedral scored three runs in the home half of the first after Hargrave drove in a pair with a sharp liner to right. The senior left fielder reached third on the play after a miscue in the outfield and scored on Daniel Garrity’s RBI groundout.

White scored Cathedral’s fourth run in the third after reaching on a fielder’s choice and later coming around to score on a wild pitch.

Brookhaven outhit Cathedral for the game 9-5. Cathedral batters struck out 13 times.

“I was hoping our bats would get going, but we’re just not putting the ball in play right now,” Beesley said. “We’re having too many looking, called third-strikes. It’s hard to win when you only get five hits.

O’Neil Burgos led the Cougars (7-8, 2-2) with three hits, including a three-run homer in the first. The University of Southern Mississippi commit added a run-scoring double in the second.

Dawson Flowers pitched 6.2 for Brookhaven.

White scored three times for the Green Wave, while Jae Eidt, Craig Bradley and Branton each had singles.

Cathedral will attempt to reverse its fortune Tuesday when it travels to face Laurel Christian.

“We know they’ve got a pitcher that throws pretty well,” Beesley said. “I just hope we come out and start swinging the bat. I’d just like to see us put the ball in play more and do the little things at the plate … and make the defense play.”