North Harrison dropped a tough one at South Harrison Thursday, battling back and forth before dropping an 8-7 heartbreaker. Playing a schedule loaded with games, with five scheduled for the week and a make-up scheduled for Monday, they went with a patchwork group of pitchers as Tyler Lundy, Timothy Heintz, and Logan Huitt all pitched in the game. They pitched well enough to keep the Shamrocks in the game with a chance to win, but a hitting mistake, a baserunning mistake, and some costly errors did them in.
The Shamrocks had easily won against South Harrison in the jamboree, but it was a totally different lineup that played against them this time; there were 28 players listed for the roster for the purple squad.
North Harrison had a chance for a big inning in the first, but only got one run out of it. Grant Claycomb worked a walk about a six pitch at-bat to start. North Harrison was able to work deep into the count and run up South Harrison’s pitch counts all day. He stole second and went to third on a wild pitch. But on a passed ball situation, South Harrison has a wooden backstop similar to North Nodaway’s, which means the ball can bounce anywhere, either well away from anyone or right back to the catcher. This time, the ball bounced right back to catcher Tyler Daugherty, who picked him off.
Brett Emig restarted North Harrison with a double down the left field line and Logan Craig advanced him to third with a groundout to short – the ball was too slowly hit and Emig got too good of a jump. Collin Castleberry walked on a 3-2 pitch and stole second, and Timothy Heintz singled to shallow left to score Emig to tie it at 1-1. But Collin Castleberry, off with the crack of the bat with two outs, made a reasonable try to score from second and was thrown out at the plate to end the inning.
It looked like an easy inning for Lundy on the mound at first, as he made two pitches and got two outs to start the game. Kinser Corbett singled to right and then Blake Thomas hit one up the middle that was snagged by shortstop Timothy Heintz. Corbett, off with the pitch, was still forced out at second and Heintz threw to first to complete the 6-3 double play. But then South Harrison teed off on Lundy for the rest of the inning as the next four batters all reached safely. Singles by Cody Weller and Payton Gentry, a walk to Marshall Norris, a wild pitch that took a crazy bounce off the wooden board that plated Weller, a first and third steal by Norris that turned into a run when catcher Lane Huitt’s throw hit the bag, and a double in the gap by Daugherty made it 3-1 after one.
The game threatened to turn into a track meet in the second, as North Harrison got the runs right back. Lane Huitt worked a 10-pitch walk, fouling off pitch after pitch from Gentry before getting on base to help open the floodgates. Tyler Lundy popped out, but Samuel Mejia singled to left. South Harrison tried to cut off the throw home and nail Mejia at second, but the ball got away and Mejia went all the way to third. Lane Huitt laid down a perfect bunt down the third base line and beat it out and stole second. Grant Claycomb popped out to second, but Brett Emig singled in two to put North Harrison up 4-3.
South Harrison got two runs in the bottom of the second as Zaine Glenn reached on a bad hop single past short. Jake Starmer forced Glenn at second, but Kinser Corbett singled to left to put runners on first and third. Corbett stole second and Blake Thomas hit a deep fly ball to left field. Grant Claycomb made a great over the shoulder catch; Starmer scored on the play, but that catch prevented a big inning. Cody Weller hit a high chopper; shortstop Timothy Heintz’s view was partially blocked by the base umpire and he was played by the hop as Corbett scored to make it 5-4 and put South Harrison back in front.
An unusual play happened next as Payton Gentry foul tipped it, but since catcher Lane Huitt caught the tip, it was a live ball and Cody Weller was able to successfully steal second. Had it dropped foul, he would not have been able to steal second. It didn’t affect the game as Gentry subsequently grounded out to Heintz to end the inning.
With one out, Timothy Heintz doubled into the left field corner and Lane Huitt flied out to right to move him over to third. Tyler Lundy walked and stole second and Samuel Mejia got his second hit, singling to drive in Heintz to tie it up at 5-5.
The defenses settled down as Timothy Heintz for North Harrison and Kinser Corbett for South Harrison came on in relief and restored order. North Harrison nearly got out of the fourth unscathed, but shortstop Grant Claycomb bobbled a grounder with two outs and Kinser Corbett reached safely. The fastest man on the team, Corbett stole second and came home on Blake Thomas’ single to put South Harrison in front 6-5.
Lane Huitt showed some opportunistic baserunning in the fifth as North Harrison tied it back up at 6-6. He walked to start the inning and Tyler Lundy flied out. Huitt stole second and third and then Sam Mejia grounded out to Corbett on the mound. Huitt took off with Corbett’s throw and was safe at home on a close play to tie it up at 6-6.
South Harrison moved back in front 7-6 in the bottom of the fifth after Heintz gave way to Logan Huitt since North Harrison was saving up their pitchers for their home tournament Saturday as much as possible. Tyler Daugherty walked, went to second on a wild pitch, and scored on Braydon Sunderman’s double into the left center field gap. Sunderman went to third on a wild pitch, but Zaine Glenn’s fly ball to Tyler Lundy in left was not deep enough to score him, and Daniel Karns grounded to Grant Claycomb at second. It was a close play and the South Harrison dugout was calling him safe, but the base umpire did not appreciate being told what the call was and called him out for the third out.
North Harrison tied it right back up again as Brett Emig reached after shortstop Cody Weller bobbled a grounder. Emig stole second and third and then came home on Collin Castleberry’s fly ball to center to tie it at 7-7.
South Harrison missed a chance to go ahead in the bottom of the sixth. Kinser Corbett walked and Blake Thomas’ bunt moved him over, but a strong throw from pitcher Logan Huitt to first baseman Logan Craig got Thomas out for the first out. Cody Weller got an intentional pass, and then Payton Gentry struck out and the ball got away from catcher Lane Huitt as both Corbett and Weller took off. But the intentional walk on North Harrison’s part paid off. Since first base was occupied and there was less than two out, Gentry was automatically out and Huitt alertly recovered the ball and threw to third as Corbett was out stealing.
North Harrison had a chance to go up in the seventh, as Lane Huitt reached on an error as the second baseman’s throw was in the dirt. Once again, Huitt showed opportunistic baserunning as he caught the South Harrison players napping, stealing second and third. Tyler Lundy worked a 3-2 count and drew a walk to set up a first and third play. It looked like a big inning for the Shamrocks, but it backfired in the worst possible way. Samuel Mejia swung at the pitch as Lundy was taking off for second and popped out into a triple play to second. Lundy was doubled off first as he could not get back in time. Huitt broke for home with the lead run when South Harrison threw to first, but was out on a close play for the third out.
Marshall Norris led off the South Harrison seventh and hit a shot into the hole at short. Shortstop Timothy Heintz’s throw was wild, but Norris would have beaten it anyway. Jaren VanMeter pinch ran for Norris and was picked off first by pitcher Logan Huitt and VanMeter was caught in a rundown. But first baseman Logan Craig’s throw to second was wild and VanMeter was safe with the winning run in scoring position with nobody out. The Shamrocks nearly got out of the inning as Tyler Daugherty grounded out to Grant Claycomb. Braydon Sunderman went after the first pitch and popped it up into shallow right to Grant Claycomb. It was too shallow to score VanMeter, but with two outs, Zaine Glenn shot a single past Collin Castleberry at third to give South Harrison the walkoff win.
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