Catasauqua head baseball coach Steve Bradley knows his team let one get away.

The Rough Riders lost a 15-12, slugfest to Jim Thorpe Monday afternoon, as they had a 7-3 lead after three innings and 12-6 after five. They had a chance to win the game in the bottom of the seventh, but the Roughies failed to execute a safety squeeze.

Catty out-hit Jim Thorpe, 14-12, but the Roughies also left 14 men on base.

“We just couldn’t get the job done,” said Bradley, whose team slipped back to .500 at 5-5. “We had our chances, but we needed better discipline at the plate.

“They hit the ball hard, and they are a good team. We just missed our opportunities.”

Joey Conway made his first start of the season, and he was followed by Gavin Hacker, Reece Lopez, Luis Collazo, and Cody Roth.

“Joey threw the ball well,” said Bradley. “Hacker did a good job, but Lopez began to get squeezed by the umpire.”

The Roughies have won five games for the first time since the 2022-23 season when they went 5-15, In 2021-22, they were 6-14, and were 10-11 in the 2020-21 season. Last year, they were 3-17.

Catty is hitting .291 as a team, led by Conway’s .469 mark. Lopez is hitting .385, Collazo is at .367, Asael Gonzalez is at .324, Tyler Hartzell at .308, and Roth at .300.

Bradley credited his team’s offensive onslaught in part to the acquisition of a pitching machine for practice.

“We’re hitting the ball well,” said Bradley. “We basically had the same team last year, and they were young. The pitching machine has made a difference, and it means that I don’t have to throw.

“Luis Collazo had played as fine a centerfield as anyone as for us. He has saved a lot of runs. Cody Roth was solid all year for us last season, and he again is solid for us.”

The Roughies traveled to Lehighton Wednesday and will play at Wilson Friday. Alex Bolmer will make the start Wednesday.

“Alex has been throwing well for us,” added Bradley. “We have had good leadership from our seniors, and that’s been a big reason for where we are.”