It's never easy to lose, especially this time of year, and it also makes it tough when your just one game away from a state tournament appearance, but the Cougars had a magical run through the post-season and produced some memories that won't soon be forgotten.

Even though the weather didn't cooperate, GMC Park was just a magnificent place to play baseball and the only thing that could have made it any better would have been a victory.

But the Cougars certainly didn't embarrass themselves. They just ran into a very good Beardstown ball club, one that swung the bats extremely well, played sound defense, and got a solid pitching performance from their Bradley-bound ace on the hill, Paul Rice.

The Tigers rapped out 13 hits on the day and scored at least 2 runs in their first five at-bats, while the Cougars managed only one run in the 1st and one in the 7th to account for the final 9-2 margin.

Even though it ended in a loss, it was still an exciting experience for the Cougar players and fans and capped a season which saw them celebrate a third regional championship in the last four years and a first-ever sectional crown.

A "season in review" will be up in a few days, so check back later in the week to get all the details.